Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

It now seems that this hope is likely to be dashed.

Liu Qinglan took a deep breath, walked quickly to Liu Yunwu, took out two storage bags from her bosom, and solemnly handed them to him.

"Yunwu, hurry! Quickly take a few core clansmen and leave Lingcui Mountain through the secret passage. Run towards Yuanwu Kingdom, the farther the better." His voice was low and urgent. "The demonic path and the seven sects are all untrustworthy. Be extremely careful."

Liu Yunwu took the storage bag, paused for a moment, and then understood his great-uncle's meaning.

"granduncle--"

"Stop talking!" Liu Qinglan interrupted him, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.

He pointed to the first storage bag: "Inside this is the clan's savings accumulated over the years, along with some spirit stones and spiritual materials."

Pointing to the second storage bag, his tone became even more solemn: "Inside here is a 'Golden Core Pill.' It was for this sliver of hope that we met our annihilation today."

Forming the Golden Elixir.

The moment those three words were uttered, everyone in the hall held their breath for a moment.

A pill that can increase the chance of a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator forming a Core by 20% is extremely rare and expensive on the market; you can't even buy it with spirit stones.

Liu Yunwu's eyes reddened.

"Grand Uncle, this was given to you by the Ghost Spirit Sect. Besides, you've been in the late Foundation Establishment stage for many years. I believe that if you can break through today, you'll definitely be able to form your Core. You need it more than I do!"

Liu Qinglan shook her head with a wry smile, her aged face full of weariness and helplessness.

"Alas, it's precisely because I've been stuck in the late Foundation Establishment stage for too many years that I've lost the will to break through." His voice was soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"But you are different. You are the unicorn of our Liu family. With your dual spiritual roots and the potential to establish your foundation at the age of twenty-five, as long as you escape today, you will surely be able to condense your golden core in the future."

He stuffed the storage bag into Liu Yunwu's hand and held it tightly.

"The future of the Liu family depends entirely on you."

The old man's voice was choked with emotion, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Today, let the three of us old guys give it our all for you younger generation one more time."

The white-bearded Foundation Establishment elder stepped forward, patted Liu Yunwu on the shoulder, and said in a hoarse voice, "Alright, stop acting like a little girl. Let's go quickly. With the 'Six Harmonies Spirit Control Array,' we should be able to hold out for a while. Go now."

Another burly elder said, "Yunwu, let's go. Take our share and live well."

Liu Yunwu's eyes were red and swirling with tears. He took a deep breath and bowed three times deeply to the three elders in the middle of the hall.

One bow.

Second bow.

Three bows.

Then he turned around and strode out of the council hall.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Liu Qinglan watched his figure disappear outside the door, and remained silent for a moment.

Then he raised his head, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit.

"Everyone, maintain the great formation with all your might! Don't hold back on spirit stones, use them all!" His voice echoed in the hall, resounding with authority. "Even if the seven sects want to destroy my Liu family, they will pay the price!"

The two elders responded in unison, turned and walked out of the hall to mobilize all the clan's resources.

Liu Qinglan was the only one left in the hall.

He stood in the center of the empty hall, his hair white and his back hunched, like an old tree about to wither and die.

His hands were trembling slightly.

But there was a hint of determination in his eyes.

He was about to leave the hall to oversee the formation.

Suddenly, a crisp "click" sound echoed clearly throughout the entire Lingcui Mountain.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely penetrating, like something had shattered.

Liu Qinglan suddenly stopped in her tracks.

His face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The mountain-protecting formation has been broken.

The sound of the formation shattering was like ice breaking in winter.

On the light screen of the Six Harmonies Spirit Control Array, cracks spread outwards from the point where the Chaotic Spirit Cone pierced, like a dense spider web.

The silvery-white cone tip pierced deeply into the node of the formation, the runes on the cone flashing wildly, continuously pouring chaotic spiritual energy into the core of the formation, constantly disrupting its operation.

In conjunction with the external attacks, the holes in the array's light barrier grew larger and larger, and spiritual light leaked out from the holes like a flood bursting its banks.

"boom--"

With a loud bang, the entire light screen shattered into countless rays of light.

The fragments drifted in the air, flickering like fireflies with their last light before gradually fading away. The protective barrier above Mount Lingcui had completely vanished.

A mountain wind howled past, carrying a strong sense of impending doom. Without the obstruction of the formation, the pressure of the six Foundation Establishment cultivators poured down on Lingcui Mountain without reservation, like seven great mountains pressing down on the hearts of every Liu family cultivator.

Nie Ying's expression was cold, her lips were slightly parted, and her voice was not loud, but with the support of spiritual power, it spread throughout the entire Lingcui Mountain.

"Kill them all. Leave no one alive."

A small, white sword flew from her sleeve, transforming into a streak of white light that shot towards the summit of Lingcui Mountain. Her figure followed closely behind, her blue palace dress fluttering in the wind like a blue lotus blooming amidst a rain of blood.

Without hesitation, Lin Feng drew his Wind-Breaking Spear, golden light flickering at its tip. He activated the Wind-Escape Shuttle, transforming into a streak of silver light, and followed Nie Ying towards the mountaintop.

Han Tianya snapped his folding fan shut, and with a flash, he vanished from the spot. His speed was astonishing; like a blue ghost, he drifted silently toward the mountaintop.

Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Xiao, and Junior Sister Ye also unleashed their magical artifacts and rushed towards the mountaintop.

One hundred elite Qi Refining disciples also moved at the same time.

They pressed towards Lingcui Mountain from all directions, like a tightening net. Their movements were perfectly synchronized and coordinated, like a sophisticated killing machine.

Various magical artifacts, talismans, and spells flew from their hands, transforming into a sky full of spiritual light that poured down on the Liu family cultivators on the mountainside and at the foot of the mountain.

The massacre began.

Some of the cultivators in the Liu family's territory who hadn't yet reached the mountaintop were stunned with fear, while others had already summoned their magical artifacts, attempting to defend themselves and retreat towards the mountaintop.

But all their efforts were in vain. Faced with elite Qi Refining cultivators who had been tempered on the battlefield, the Liu family's cultivators were utterly powerless.

A boy of seventeen or eighteen heard a huge cracking sound from above. He looked up and saw countless fragments of spiritual light falling like snowflakes, a sight so beautiful it seemed unreal.

Then he saw a flying sword.

The flying sword fell from the sky with the speed of lightning. Before he could react, the sword pierced through his chest.

The boy's body stiffened for a moment as he looked down at the bloody hole in his chest. His eyes widened, his mouth opened as if to shout something, but no sound came out. His body went limp and he collapsed into the bamboo forest, the blood quickly soaking the soil beneath his feet.

Several young Liu family cultivators nearby were also not spared.

Several spells flew down from the sky and exploded beside them with a deafening roar. Flames engulfed their bodies, and their screams were short and shrill before abruptly ceasing. Several charred corpses lay in the bamboo grove, a stark contrast to the verdant bamboo.

Several quick-thinking cultivators from the Liu family promptly unleashed their magical artifacts in an attempt to defend themselves.

A young man at the ninth level of Qi Refining summoned a bronze shield, which unfolded in front of him, shimmering with spiritual light. He thought he could block it for a moment, then turned and ran away.

But the attacks from the elite Qi Refining disciples were beyond his imagination.

The three magical artifacts struck his bronze shield simultaneously. The shield cracked upon the first impact, shattered upon the second, and was cleaved in two upon the third.