After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

Zhou Ran felt a sudden emptiness in his ears.

The wind in the ruins of Dongcheng, Wang Pangzi's shouts, and Xu Youwei's suppressed sobs.

All of this was overshadowed by Chen Ya's statement, "Lin Qingxue is missing."

He held his phone, his knuckles clenched.

Explain yourself.

The sound of shattering glass came from the other end of the phone, mixed with Xiao Hongli's suppressed groan of pain.

Chen Ya was breathing heavily.

"The basement has been breached."

"The death formation collapsed from the inside."

"We couldn't stop them."

"The one who came was a Taoist nun in white, holding a fragment of a bronze ruler in her hand."

The killing intent in Zhou Ran's eyes sank, until only a sliver of cold light remained.

Fatty Wang, standing to the side, felt a tightness in the back of his neck when he saw his expression.

The last time Zhou Ran showed that look in his eyes, Yama died under his fist.

"Qin San".

Zhou Ran spoke.

Qin San stepped forward, sword in hand.

"exist."

"Send Xu Youwei back to the manor, and make sure the remnants of the Penglai army don't run into her."

"Yes."

Xu Youwei's face turned pale, and her lips moved as if she wanted to speak.

Zhou Ran glanced at her.

"Only if you live can someone testify about this debt in Penglai."

Xu Youwei bit her lip and nodded.

"I know."

Zhou Ran turned around, and the Black Gold Law burst forth from beneath his feet.

His projection soared into the sky, heading straight for the Xiao family manor.

Deep within the sacred mountain of the illusory realm, Zhou Ran's true form sat cross-legged.

He pressed his left hand against his chest to forcefully stabilize the projection channel.

He pushed the projection speed to its limit, and the remaining gray line in the sky above Jiangcheng was broken along the way.

Several regular monsters crawled out from the roof halfway there.

The moment he looked up, the pressure of the Nascent Soul descended, instantly shattering his flesh and blood.

Less than three minutes later, Zhou Ran landed above the manor.

The outer barrier of the main building is still in operation, but an opening has been made in the basement.

The edge of the gap still bears traces of ancient blue law, and gray fragments of the void cling to the wall, still wriggling.

Zhou Ran stepped into the basement.

The inside was in complete ruins.

The array plate was shattered on the ground, and the walls were marked with knife marks, fire marks, and rune holes pierced by ancient laws.

Chen Ya collapsed by the door, her shoulder pierced, blood soaking half of her clothes.

Xiao Hongli leaned against the center of the formation. A corner of the Ghost Banner was broken off, and the Yin energy around her was chaotic and could not be suppressed.

Su Qingling and Su Qingwu collapsed beside the Tide Array, their lips covered in blood.

The cold jade bed where Lin Qingxue had been lying was now empty.

There was only a bluish-white bloodstain left on the bed.

Zhou Ran walked to Chen Ya's side, touched her brow with his fingertip, and poured his true energy into her.

"Awake."

Chen Ya suddenly opened her eyes and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

When she saw Zhou Ran clearly, her eyes immediately reddened.

"Zhou Ran, I'm sorry..."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Zhou Ran took out a healing pill and put it into her mouth.

He then remotely activated Xiao Hongli's senses.

Xiao Hongli's first reaction upon waking was to reach out and grab the Ghost Banner.

Zhou Ran asked:

Where are they?

Xiao Hongli clenched her teeth.

"They were taken away."

Zhou Ran squatted down, staring at the bluish-white bloodstains on the ground.

"Who?"

Chen Ya propped herself up against the wall, her breath coming in very shallow gasps.

"The Taoist nun in white."

She was holding half a bronze ruler.

She said that Qingxue never belonged here.

Zhou Ran lowered his gaze.

A Taoist nun in white robes.

A woman who looks quite similar to Hsu Yu-Wei?

She had previously sent a secret letter from Penglai, informing them of information about the Mandara and Mandara flowers.

At that time, Zhou Ran regarded her as a messenger.

In retrospect, she was the deepest thorn in Penglai's side.

Wang Pangzi and Xiao Rou also rushed back to the manor at this time.

Fatty Wang rushed into the basement and saw the empty Jade Bed, freezing in place.

"Where is Sister-in-law Qingxue?"

No one answered.

Xiao Rou squatted down and released a Gu worm.

The moment the Gu worm touched the bluish-white blood, its body twitched and it died instantly.

Xiao Rou withdrew her hand, her fingertips feeling numb.

"It has the aura of the illusory realm, as well as the ancient laws of Penglai."

"She didn't force her way in."

She tricked her way through the first layer of the formation.

Xiao Hongli raised her head and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"I own it."

Zhou Ran turned to her.

Xiao Hongli clenched her fingers into her palm.

"She said something happened in Dongcheng, and Xu Youwei's soul fire was about to go out. She wanted to borrow an ancient talisman from the manor to stabilize her soul."

"She has Xu Lao's keepsake, a fragment of a bronze ruler, and she also said the password you left for the array's core before you left."

"The first layer of the formation has recognized the ancient laws of Penglai."

Her throat tightened as she said this.

"I never expected that they would dare to steal the snow after just sending their own people to the altar."

Zhou Ran did not scold her.

The opponent can bypass the outer formation and obtain the fragments of the bronze ruler.

They can use Xu Lao's token and know Lin Qingxue's condition and the password for the manor's array core.

This sneak attack was planned step by step.

Zhou Ran raised his hand, activating his Purple-Gold Demon Eye.

The lingering scent of the basement flowed backward in his eyes, and images appeared frame by frame.

The white-robed Taoist nun entered the basement, her face showing urgency, holding half a bronze ruler in her hands.

"Dongcheng's left eye is out of control, and Xu Youwei's soul fire is about to be extinguished. Zhou Ran asked me to retrieve the Ancient Law Amulet."

Xiao Hongli stopped her.

The Taoist nun raised the bronze ruler.

Xu Lao's mark emerged on the ruler.

A crack appeared in the formation.

The next moment, the nun's expression changed.

A fragment of the bronze ruler pierced the core of the formation, and the death formation paused for a moment from within.

In that short time, she flashed to Lin Qingxue's bedside.

Li Zhiyao is not here.

Fatty Wang is by the river.

Xiaorou is in the East District.

Qin San was there to meet Xu Youwei.

The strongest members of the manor were all transferred away.

The Taoist nun raised her hand and pressed it against the back of Lin Qingxue's neck.

That was the spot where the traction cable had landed earlier.

A bluish-white light appeared.

Lin Qingxue opened her eyes, but she was not fully awake.

The Taoist nun picked her up.

Chen Ya lunged forward, only to have her shoulder pierced by a foot-sized blow.

Xiao Hongli summoned the Ghost Banner, and as the gray light swept across the void, the three ghosts vanished on the spot.

At the end of the scene, the Taoist nun turns around.

Her left eye was covered with a gray film.

Zhou Ran withdrew his demonic gaze, and the temperature in the basement dropped a few degrees.

"Virtual Realm Puppet".

Xiao Rou looked unwell.

"Has Penglai been infiltrated so deeply?"

Zhou Ran spoke, his voice very low.

"Old Xu is just a knife laid out on the table."

"She was the one who actually did it."

Fatty Wang angrily said:

Where did she run off to?

I'm going to chop her up!

Zhou Ran raised his hand and pressed it to the ground.

As his Nascent Soul expanded, he gradually extracted the ancient aura left by the fragments of the bronze ruler.

There was also Lin Qingxue's pale blood.

The two auras intertwined and extended northwards towards Jiangcheng.

The direction is very clear.

Mangshan.

Taihuang Tomb.

The passage to the underworld.

Zhou Ran crushed the floor tiles with his five fingers.

"She's going to the underworld."

Chen Ya stood up, leaning against the wall.

"Will Qingxue...?"

"Won't."

Zhou Ran interrupted her.

"She won't die unless I agree."

He looked at Fatty Wang and Xiao Rou.

"Fatty, Xiao Rou, set up an ambush on the outskirts of Mangshan."

"Don't fight head-on."

"If she has Lin Qingxue with her, stall her for now."

Fatty Wang nodded.

"clear."

Xiao Rou put away the Gu worms.

"I'll lead the Gu Masters of Southern Xinjiang to seal off the mountain."

Zhou Ran then turned to Xiao Hongli.

"You will guard the manor."

Xiao Hongli was taken aback.

"I'll go too."

"You'll cause trouble if you go."

Zhou Ran spoke in a very steady tone.

Xiao Hongli's face paled slightly.

Zhou Ran looked at her.

"I didn't think you were weak."

"She can use Lin Qingxue to influence Yue Zhao, and she can also use your Ghost Banner to open the Yin Gate."

"Guard this place."

"Don't let a second person sneak in."

Xiao Hongli gritted her teeth.

"it is good."

Zhou Ran turned around.

The black and gold light on the projection began to burn.

He wasn't planning on traveling normally.

Too slow.

He wanted to use Lin Qingxue's bloodstains to create a trail.

Qin San had just brought Xu Youwei back when he witnessed this scene.

He strode forward and said in a deep voice:

"Boss, your projection is about to give way."