Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 22 Breaking Through the Desperate Situation, Bai Clan Protects the Young

Ahead lay deadly flying daggers, and below, earth spikes were about to burst from the ground. Severely injured, his room for maneuver was virtually zero.

Desperate situation!

Just as Meng Xihong's consciousness seemed to be swallowed up by excruciating pain and death.

The accumulation of the past few days suddenly erupted: the artistic conception gained from observing the ancient locust tree, the profound understanding of creating the "hidden spirit seed", the true meaning of "locust tree gathering breath", and even the countless life-and-death battles in the Yin soil of the mortuary... All of this, like ignited gunpowder, burned and exploded violently in the depths of his soul!

The barrier of the peak of Dark Force shattered instantly.

Breakthrough in martial arts!

At the dantian, the surging qi and blood, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, suddenly condensed into a single point. The strength in the limbs and bones was no longer hindered, flowing smoothly and harmoniously, becoming one with the universe!

A sense of complete control over the body, with power flowing at will, spread through me. My perception of external danger instantly sharpened several times over, and the pain in my body seemed to be temporarily blocked out.

Transformation of internal force, accomplished!

Martial arts, breakthrough!
Within the dantian, qi and blood surged, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, suddenly condensing into a single point. The power flowed seamlessly and smoothly throughout the limbs and bones, without the slightest stagnation, achieving a unified whole!
A sense of clarity and transparency permeated my entire body—every inch of muscle, every bit of strength, could move at will. The external dangers suddenly became several times clearer, and even the excruciating pain in my body seemed to be temporarily isolated.

The ultimate realm has been reached!
Almost at the same moment, the spiritual power in his sea of ​​consciousness was triggered by the breakthrough in martial arts and resonated with a thunderous roar.

The sparse spiritual energy in the world, especially the Yin earth energy that had accumulated within the mortuary for many years, seemed to be seized by an invisible force and frantically poured into his body.
All the Yin Earth Qi, after being tempered by the [Immortal Bones], flows into the body like rain on parched land, greedily absorbing and refining spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy is growing stronger, solidifying, and flowing at an unprecedented speed!
The accumulated power easily broke through the barrier of the second level of Qi Refining, advancing triumphantly until it reached the peak of the third level of Qi Refining, before gradually stabilizing.

The spiritual energy was several times stronger and more refined than before!
His spiritual awareness expanded to a radius of fifty feet. His control over his physical body and his perception of the environment both reached entirely new levels.

The path to immortality has been broken! Peak of the third level of Qi Refining!

The simultaneous breakthrough on two fronts was truly the culmination of accumulated experience and a natural outcome.

A surge of new life force erupted within the severely injured body, instantly suppressing the excruciating pain and dispelling the weakness.

At that very moment of breakthrough, Lin Fei's deadly magic weapon, the "Shadow Thorn," was less than three feet from his throat. New earth spikes were also about to burst forth from the ground below!

Life and death are separated by the smallest of margins.

"Hide!" Meng Xihong shouted in his heart. His newly broken-through Transformation Realm cultivation, combined with the spiritual power of the third level of Qi Refining, and the true meaning of "concealment" from the Locust Wood Breath Concealment Technique, were perfectly integrated.

His entire aura instantly became ethereal and uncertain, as if he had merged with the cold, damp earth beneath him and the pervasive earthy smell around him. His presence diminished dramatically.

The "Shadow Strike" that had been aimed at his throat showed a slight, almost imperceptible delay the instant it lost its clear target.

It was this breakthrough that brought about a delay of less than a tenth of a breath.

Meng Xihong's severely injured body twisted and contracted suddenly at an impossible angle, like a boneless loach.

At the same time, the long-awaited left foot, like a scorpion that had been lying in wait, brought with it the spiraling force of the twisting motion of the whole body and the penetrating power of the newly formed transforming energy, and fiercely struck upwards at Lin Fei's groin, which was in disarray due to the forced activation of the magic weapon and his unstable lower body.

Take this groin kick!

"Ouch~!!!"

A piercing, distorted scream, completely unlike a human voice, resounded through the sky!

Lin Fei's eyes bulged out, his eyeballs almost jumping out of their sockets. All his madness and resentment were instantly replaced by boundless, unimaginable pain.

His body was curled up like a boiled shrimp, all movements and spells instantly stopped, his hands tightly covering his lower body, his face blank with utter despair and indescribable pain.

The "Shadow Dagger," about to strike its target, lost its luster due to its master's complete mental collapse and fell helplessly to the ground.

"Ha, cultivating immortality? You can cultivate to be free from worldly desires, but you can't get rid of these mortal roots." Meng Xihong's sarcasm arrived as expected.

Now or never.

The murderous intent in Meng Xihong's eyes was so intense it seemed to burst forth.

Despite the tearing sensation brought on by the severe injuries and the burst of new power, his body sprang up again like a taut bowstring.

With his right hand's five fingers joined together like a diamond drill, his internal energy cultivation was pushed to its limit. The spiritual power of the third level of Qi Refining was precisely guided by [Literary Mind and Spirit] and condensed at his fingertips, forming a tiny glimmer.

A heart-piercing awl!
This strike was infused with all the energy and spirit he had gained after his breakthrough, and condensed his supreme will to protect his family. With a resolute killing intent, it pierced Lin Fei's chest, which was completely exposed and defenseless due to excruciating pain, like lightning.

"Pfft!"

The muffled sound of flesh being torn apart was so clear it sent chills down one's spine.

The fingertips, enveloped in a faint light, pierced through the skin and flesh, now devoid of spiritual protection, and the fragile ribs without any resistance.

It pierced the heart with perfect precision, which was convulsing wildly in excruciating pain. "Ugh... Uh..." Lin Fei's body stiffened abruptly, his arched body straightening instantly, the boundless pain in his eyes freezing in an instant, replaced by an extreme sense of bewilderment and disbelief.

He stared intently at the face before him, cold and grim in the dim light, like that of a grim reaper, a hoarse sound escaping his throat: "Immortal...Martial...Dual...Break...How...Impossible..."

Before the words were even finished, all the madness, resentment, pain, and confusion vanished completely as life slipped away.

His body went limp, and he collapsed heavily into a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, dying with unseeing eyes.

Meng Xihong slowly withdrew his finger, bringing with it a spray of warm blood and scattered fragments of internal organs.

He staggered, bracing himself with his hands, and gasped for breath.

The wounds on his left arm, back, and thigh burned with pain, and the immense exhaustion from the forced breakthrough and fighting made his vision blur.

However, the surging new life force within him, along with his strong belief in killing powerful enemies and protecting his family, kept him from collapsing.

He quickly bent down and began to search Lin Fei's still-warm body.

Aside from a faded serpentine jade pendant, the most important items were the chilling black dagger "Shadow Thorn" and a storage bag made of extraordinary material.

Opening the storage bag, inside lay dozens of low-grade spirit stones, several jade bottles labeled "Rejuvenation Pill" and "Bigu Pill", a basic earth-based cultivation technique with the title "Thick Earth Technique" on the cover, several blank jade slips or those with miscellaneous records, and... a silk cloth marked with Wufeng County and several surrounding locations, with forged handwriting by Zhou Maocai attached.

"Lin Fei of the Azure Scale Guard... Thick Earth Technique... Forged intelligence..." Meng Xihong held the snake-shaped jade pendant with icy eyes, quickly putting away all the spoils of war. "Perfect, I'll use your head and the fake map to turn the world upside down!"

He didn't linger. With the faint fire elemental power generated by the Five Elements Minor Technique after his breakthrough, he flicked a spark from his fingertip onto Lin Fei's corpse and the blood-stained filth.

The fire ignited upon contact with anything, spreading rapidly and engulfing all traces in flames.

After dealing with the remaining traces of the tracking agent, Meng Xihong's figure blended into the deep night, and he sped off towards the Meng residence, his steps faltering yet resolute.

Each throbbing pain from his wounds reminded him of his inadequacy and his urgent need to become stronger.

The three levels of Transformation and Qi Refining are just the beginning!
At almost the same time, at the Meng residence.

Bai sat cross-legged, calming her mind and trying to sense the warm and profound energy within her body, following the method taught by her husband. Meanwhile, the three others were still fast asleep in bed.

suddenly!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two barely perceptible whooshing sounds came from the shadows of the courtyard wall.

Two sharp glints of light pierced through the window paper, shining directly at Yan Ning in the cradle!
"Yan Ning!" Bai Shi woke up instantly, her maternal instincts causing her to rush towards the cradle with unprecedented speed.

But how could her body be faster than a sneak attack of flying needles?

Just as the poisoned needle was about to touch the swaddling clothes!
Within Bai's body, the potential of the water and earth spiritual roots, nourished by the [Immortal Bone] and activated by meditation, sensed the ultimate protective will and crisis, and suddenly activated on its own.

"Buzz!"

The ground around the cradle sank almost imperceptibly.

A faint aura of earth vein energy instantly condensed.

At the same time, the moisture in the air seemed to be drawn in, instantly forming a thin, almost invisible layer of humid air above Yan Ning's body.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two poisoned needles were shot at it.

The water vapor shield fluctuated violently, which, although it failed to completely block the needles, significantly reduced their speed and penetrating power.

Immediately afterwards, the condensed earth vein energy, like soft mud or a tough vine net, tightly "stuck" and enveloped the greatly weakened poison needle.

Finally, the two poisoned needles hovered precariously less than an inch above Yan Ning's swaddling clothes, their tips trembling.

Bai rushed to the cradle, her face pale with shock as she stared at the two poisoned needles held in place by an invisible force, followed by boundless rage.

She instinctively reached out her hand, and a warm and profound aura emanated from her palm, enveloping the poisoned needle.

The azure venom was slowly neutralized and dissolved by this aura.

Outside the courtyard wall, a very faint gasp, tinged with surprise, was heard, followed by the sound of footsteps quickly fading away.

"Are you alright, Madam?" At this moment, Meng Xihong ordered Ji Beichuan and the others who were hiding in the shadows to discover the assassin and quickly enter the room to protect Madam Bai and the child behind them.

Bai hugged Yan Ning tightly, who had been awakened and was crying. Her body trembled with fear, but her eyes became incredibly firm and cold.

Looking down at her hands, still tinged with the afterglow of her husband's love, she realized for the first time with crystal clarity how powerful and precious the "spirituality" her husband had given her truly was.

This is the power of protection!
(End of this chapter)