Chapter 200: Seeking Help (Seeking Monthly Votes at the Start of the Month! )
Chapter 200: Seeking Help (Seeking Monthly Votes at the Start of the Month! )
“Where is Ruan Dan? ”
Facing the demoness, Fang Xi asked only one question.
Seeing Ye San Ren’s slightly changed expression, he already knew everything.
With a cold sneer, the Green Reaping Sword transformed into a stream of light, its sword qi, verdant and shimmering with golden flecks, whistled past with the speed of lightning, piercing through Situ Qing Qing's fair neck.
Alas. . .
Not a single drop of blood flowed out.
What appeared there was, astonishingly, an illusion so lifelike it could fool anyone!
“Fellow Daoist Fang. . . between us, there is truly no enmity that requires a fight to the death. . . On the contrary, my Situ Clan is developing in the State of Mu, and we could exchange information in the future. ”
“Hehe. . . Do you want me to collude with demon cultivators? ”
Fang Xi scoffed, dismissing her words.
“What is righteous, and what is demonic? Even within the Black Heaven Sect, there might be inheritances of demonic arts. . . In fact, human hearts can be far more sinister. Knowing that my Situ Clan, even if we obtained the Purple Mystical Mountain mystic realm, could not challenge the Black Heaven Sect’s position, they still deliberately provided an excuse for the Song Clan to exterminate my clan. . . then used my clan to wear down the Song Clan. . . Human schemes are truly played to the extreme. . . ”
“Demonic cultivators merely cultivate demonic qi, but the hearts of orthodox cultivators are not necessarily cleaner than those of demon cultivators. . . ”
“Qing Qing has said all she can. Fellow Daoist Fang, take care. . . ”
After Situ Qing Qing finished speaking, her illusion directly dissipated.
As Fang Xi watched Ye San Ren's retreating figure, light flickered in his eyes.
Ultimately, he still sighed and retrieved his Green Reaping Sword.
Even if he used all his trump cards, at most he could only detain Ye San Ren; Situ Qing Qing had long since disappeared to who knows where.
Revealing too many of his trump cards at this moment would be detrimental.
He hadn't expected that after their parting years ago, this woman would also have achieved Foundation Establishment upon their next meeting.
...
Spirit Sky Island.
Earlier, ‘Zhong Tianjun’, the alias Ye San Ren had used, had suddenly erupted in violence, directly slaying Yan Wu Xu, the Yan family’s old ancestor, and taking the opportunity to destroy their second-order array.
Then, after a thorough plunder, he departed with might, and no one dared to stop him!
In the darkness of night, flames soared into the sky.
“Kill! ”
“Charge into the Yan family! There are plenty of spirit stones! ”
A group of masked bandit cultivators were controlling their artifacts, attacking the Yan family cultivators.
Not far away, in the market town, there was also a blaze of fire, with numerous bandit cultivators appearing.
Rogue cultivators are the foundation of the cultivation world, yet also the group with the fewest bottom lines.
When order ceases to exist, all rogue cultivators can potentially transform into bandit cultivators!
What Ye San Ren had done tonight had undoubtedly shattered the Spirit Sky Island’s original calm and stable order!
Seeing the masters from several large merchant shops casually slain by ‘Zhong Tianjun’, and the market town thrown into chaos, the rogue cultivators could no longer suppress the greed in their hearts. They first plundered the smaller shops, even fighting each other like beasts for a single spirit pill or an artifact. . .
After plundering the market town clean, they naturally set their sights on the Yan family’s main residence.
After all, this was a Foundation Establishment family, quite well-endowed!
Who knew, there might even be Foundation Establishment spiritual items inside!
The Yan family was truly unlucky; they had only just moved a few years ago and hadn't yet established a complete defensive system. Their greatest reliance—the second-order array—had even been dismantled by Zhong Tianjun.
“Break into the Yan family! The Yan family has Foundation Establishment Pills! ”
Listening to the chaotic shouts of the bandit cultivators outside, Yan Hong Xiu was almost driven to tears of frustration.
‘My Yan family started from scratch with great hardship; where would we have any Foundation Establishment Pills? ! Even if we did, that Zhong Tianjun would have already plundered them! ’
Thinking of that Zhong family Foundation Establishment cultivator, Yan Hong Xiu's heart felt as if it had plummeted into an ice cave.
Who could have imagined that the honored guest, solemnly invited into the family by their old ancestor, would turn hostile and commit murder?
Furthermore, the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan and the Yan family had no old grudges or recent enmities; it was truly incomprehensible. Could it really just be for the sake of plundering resources?
After a Foundation Establishment family declines, would even Foundation Establishment cultivators fall to become bandit cultivators?
When Yan Hong Xiu first saw her great-grandfather's corpse, her heart shattered.
But cruel reality did not allow her to remain broken for long.
Because soon after, that swarm of bandit cultivators, like locusts, stormed their gates!
Yan Hong Xiu's tears had already dried up; now, only blood could flow!
“Kill! ”
“Our kin and family are behind us, kill these bandit cultivators! ”
Beams of light from numerous artifacts flickered in mid-air, and countless figures intertwined.
Some cultivators fell, becoming corpses, while others, having seized enough wealth, directly retreated.
“Those who trespass upon my Yan family shall die! ”
Amidst a great roar, Yan Hong Xiu saw her Thirteenth Uncle let out a furious cry.
Her Thirteenth Uncle, who had originally been a refined and gentle man who only enjoyed zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, suddenly sprouted blood beads all over his body, becoming as grotesque as an Asura. He used a secret technique to boost his strength, taking two late-stage Qi Refinement experts down with him.
“Kill, kill the bandits! ”
And then there was Third Uncle, this usually stern family elder, who took out a second-order talisman. It transformed into a fiery golden blade that sliced through the neck of one bandit group’s leader.
“Ah. . . The boss is dead. . . ”
“Kill him, avenge the boss! ”
The remaining bandit cultivators swarmed forward, and several artifacts pierced through Third Uncle’s body.
...
As the first light of dawn broke, and the sky gradually brightened,
Yan Hong Xiu's body was already dyed red with blood. In her hand, she held a spiked fishing net artifact, its mesh filled with traces of various minced flesh and gore.
“Finally. . . they retreated. ”
Her voice was hoarse as she looked around.
Fewer than ten cultivators remained in the Yan family, having retreated to the Yan family's last secret passage. Inside the passage were over a dozen trembling children—these were all the Yan family’s spirit root children, and also their hope for the future!
“Wuwu. . . They’re dead, all dead! ”
A young man gazed at the Yan family's main residence, which had been transformed into a purgatory, and suddenly wept uncontrollably: “Eighth Uncle, Thirteenth Uncle, and Cousin Fu, Cousin Wenjian. . . Little Sister Ling. . . all dead. . . ”
Yan Hong Xiu wiped a hand across the blood on her face. She had long since run out of tears, and a fierce expression emerged on her face: “All of this is Zhong Tianjun’s sin. From today onwards, my Yan family and the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan shall be irreconcilable foes! ”
“Indeed, we must report this to the main sect! ”
The surrounding cultivators were all filled with righteous indignation, their eyes bloodshot.
“But. . . but what should we do? ”
A youth who looked only fourteen or fifteen was filled with alarm: “Without our old ancestor, how can we possibly hold onto Spirit Sky Island? Those bandit cultivators only wanted surface wealth. . . But after today, who knows how many forces will set their sights on my Yan family’s Spirit Sky Island. . . plotting to exterminate my Yan clan to seize this second-order spirit vein! ”
“If only we had known, we might as well have stayed at Little Cold Mountain. . . ”
Some clan members were filled with despair, even their hearts turned to ashes, muttering like walking corpses.
“The clan already sold the Little Cold Mountain spirit vein. . . there’s no going back. ” Yan Hong Xiu’s stiffened mind began to work: “We cannot abandon Spirit Sky Island. If we abandon Spirit Sky Island again, we will truly have nowhere left to go! Everyone will become homeless rogue cultivators, and just renting spiritual land would consume vast amounts of spirit stones. How then would we improve our cultivation or seek revenge against our enemies? ”
“The main sect. . . our clan no longer even has a single Foundation Establishment cultivator. . . I fear we won’t enter the main sect’s eye. ”
An elder, the most senior in the Yan family present, said with a bitter expression: “What is to be done. . . The most pressing matter is to first seek help from Island Master Ruan and those three seniors. . . This old man will go to Maple Leaf Island, Hong Yan will go to Golden Turtle Island, and Hong Xiu, you will go to Dragon Fish Island. Remember, go quickly and return swiftly! ”
“Dragon Fish Island? ”
Yan Hong Xiu couldn’t help but grit her teeth inwardly, thinking of the young cultivator from back then who rode a Green Horned Fish Dragon and pressured her great-grandfather into giving up his foundation.
She had originally regarded him as an enemy, even hoping that one day she could return the humiliation.
Unexpectedly, now she had to wag her tail and beg for mercy from this great enemy.
“Don’t worry, Seventh Uncle, I will definitely invite that esteemed senior to preside over justice. ”
Yan Hong Xiu grit her teeth and agreed.
“Mm, now is a moment of life and death for my Yan family. You must remember, for the sake of the clan, do not spare yourselves! ”
The white-haired Seventh Uncle earnestly exhorted them, his aged appearance deeply etched into Yan Hong Xiu's heart.
...
Dragon Fish Island.
Longevity Pavilion.
Fang Xi secretly returned to his cave abode and immediately went into seclusion to refine the array flags and array plates for the Earth-Shaking Great Array.
His trip had been quite fruitful. There were many spiritual materials in Song Qing’s storage ring, more than enough to refine two or three more sets of the Earth-Shaking Great Array.
Not only that, he also found several rare third-order ores in the storage ring. With just one more second-order superior-grade artifact refiner, he might be able to attempt forging a flying artifact centered around the Ground-Piercing Golden Light Treasure Pattern!
‘Wait. . . I’m going to be planting a tree next, so I won’t be able to run around anyway. A flying artifact wouldn’t be of much use. . . ’
Idly toying with a newly refined, earth-yellow array flag in his hand, Fang Xi mused: “And my artifact refining skills are truly dreadful. I might as well observe Dan Ya drawing talismans every day. . . and then use this long period of secluded cultivation to study Chen Ping’s Talisman Dao inheritance, raising my own Talisman Dao mastery to at least second-order superior-grade. . . ”
Dan Ya’s talisman-making talent was far superior to Fang Xi’s, and because she spared no expense with materials, her progress was remarkably swift, making even Fang Xi quite envious.
Just then, he took out the Evergreen Divine Thunder Array’s restriction token, sighed, and stepped out of the refining room door.
A transmission talisman, fluttering wildly like a headless fly in mid-air, was snatched by Fang Xi.
“It’s indeed about the Yan family. . . Looks like my refining process will be delayed. ”
Fang Xi sighed emotionally and emerged from seclusion.
“Young Master. . . ” Xiahou Ying, who was already quite familiar with Fang Xi, immediately stepped forward: “Spirit Sky Island was attacked by bandit cultivators. The Yan family’s old ancestor has died, and the Yan family suffered heavy casualties. They dispatched Yan Hong Xiu to seek an audience with you, requesting you preside over justice. . . ”
“Understood. Bring her to the reception hall. ”
Fang Xi nodded faintly, but a strange feeling stirred within him.
‘If Ye San Ren hadn't made a move, I might very well have acted myself. . . Then, if Yan Hong Xiu came to seek my help again, it would feel quite interesting. . . ’
Fortunately, he was a proper person, and quickly reined in his wicked amusement, heading to the reception hall.
“Greetings, Senior Fang! ”
Yan Hong Xiu was pacing nervously. Seeing Fang Xi enter, she immediately knelt and performed a grand bow, her voice tinged with a sob: “I beg Senior to preside over justice for my great-grandfather. . . ”
“Alas. . . Although I only met Fellow Daoist Yan once, I had long since considered him a true confidant. Rest assured, I am resolved to help with this matter. ”
Fang Xi sighed emotionally, personally helped Yan Hong Xiu to her feet, and offered words of comfort.
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