…This is bad!
Xu Ziqing immediately formed a hand seal, speeding up his escape technique as he rushed toward Yun Family Manor.
Below them, a dense crowd had gathered. More than a hundred people stood outside the manor holding torches, hurling them toward the buildings.
Many trees surrounding the manor had caught fire, and that was where the flames came from.
Inside Yun Family Manor itself, however, not even a spark had landed.
Among the attackers, at least a dozen Xiantian experts hovered slightly above the ground, launching their Xiantian power toward the manor.
The attacks formed countless masses of energy. Yet whenever they touched the space over the manor, they rebounded or vanished into nothingness with booming sounds.
There seemed to be a pale green barrier over the estate, faintly appearing whenever it was struck.
Xu Ziqing could immediately see that Yun Family Manor was being protected by wood qi. The light barrier above it had been activated by the protective jade pendant he had given Yun Tianheng years ago.
He had been at the peak of late Essence Transformation when he refined it. But he had used the power of Divine-Wood Seeds, creating something comparable to a spiritual artifact, far stronger than an ordinary magical artifact.
Now it was proving useful.
It seemed Yun Tianheng’s years of cultivation had not been wasted.
After surveying the manor, however, Xu Ziqing’s eyes fell on the attackers outside.
He was a little surprised, yet he also understood.
They were not from Thunder Gate. They were members of the Wu’ao Sect.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Ziqing guessed what had happened.
One rule of the Xuanwu Assembly forbade taking revenge on a competitor’s family. Lei Li’s death had made everyone in Thunder Gate furious, so furious that they had spent vast sums to recruit Xiantian experts to kill Yun Tiangang. But there were other forces within the sect. They could not simply offend the lord of Xuantian City, much less anger the ruler, without harming their own interests.
Thus, apart from the attempted assassination, they had to swallow their anger and refrain from attacking Yun Family Manor.
Nevertheless, after investigating, Thunder Gate had also come to hate the Wu’ao Sect for provoking Lei Li in the first place. They began suppressing the smaller sect.
Compared with the enormous Thunder Gate, the Wu’ao Sect was a minor power. Naturally, it was pushed almost to desperation.
Unable to fight Thunder Gate, the Wu’ao Sect could only vent its anger on Yun Family Manor. In that way, Thunder Gate achieved its purpose without attacking directly.
The Wu’ao Sect soon gathered many skilled fighters. Although it was not a large sect, it possessed a fairly solid foundation. It also hired numerous Xiantian experts with its wealth, intending to uproot Yun Family Manor completely.
That was the origin of the manor’s present crisis, and Xu Ziqing’s ominous premonition.
Having understood this, Xu Ziqing descended through the clouds and landed with Yun Tiangang before the manor.
The hundred or so attackers were shouting aggressively when they suddenly saw two men descending from the sky. They were shocked and fell silent for a moment.
But the next instant someone recognized Yun Tiangang and shouted his name. “It’s Yun Tiangang! Kill him—”
Immediately the Xiantian experts who had been attacking the barrier changed targets, sending their power toward Yun Tiangang!
Yun Tiangang possessed sword intent and felt no fear. His figure flickered repeatedly as he evaded the attacks. Then he released sword intent, creating countless illusory sword lights. Just as he had done against the Thunder Gate Xiantian experts, he forced flaws to appear in their minds and wore down their strength.
At the same time, the hundred or so ordinary attackers who fell within his sword intent were also deceived by the illusion. Those with weaker wills burst into frightened tears and collapsed!
Xu Ziqing stood nearby without worry.
These minor opponents could serve as practice for his senior brother. Once they were dealt with, the two could enter the manor.
But suddenly a warning surged through Xu Ziqing’s heart!
While Yun Tiangang was concentrating on releasing his sword intent, a streak of black light suddenly flew in from the distant sky!
It approached at tremendous speed and carried overwhelming power. A foul stench emanated from it, suggesting an extremely potent poison and corrosive force.
Its target was Yun Tiangang!
Xu Ziqing’s heart tightened. He flickered forward at once.
In an instant he stood in front of Yun Tiangang and thrust out his hand, releasing a mass of green light that collided with the black light!
The two powers dissolved like ice and snow, silently cancelling each other and vanishing into nothing.
The unexpected interruption broke the sword-intent attack, forcing Yun Tiangang to stop. At the same moment, the people who had been trapped in his illusion escaped before using up much strength. Even so, the terrifying experience left fear lingering on their faces.
Only the Xiantian experts had sensed the approaching black light. Now they exchanged glances, joy showing in their eyes.
Xu Ziqing heard them murmuring softly, “Old Ancestor…”
His heart stirred.
Xu Ziqing had lived in the Hengwu Small World for decades. He knew that the strongest people here were Xiantian experts, and no cultivators were supposed to reside in this world.
That was not particularly strange. Cultivators practiced in order to progress further. This small world was connected to the Great World. Even someone who strayed here through the Dragon Ascension Gate would not want to remain and would seek to return. And those who had grown old with little hope of further breakthroughs would generally have spent too much time in the Great World to tolerate the poverty of this small world.
Yet there were exceptions to everything…
Thinking back, Xu Ziqing realized that the black light had unmistakably been a cultivator’s technique!
But its nature was rather strange. It resembled a demonic art, yet also carried traces of the immortal path. Could the attacker possess an Immortal-Demon Physique?
No. His senior brother’s Immortal-Demon Physique had fused the powers of immortals and demons into one. It was nothing so crude.
Xu Ziqing remained standing before Yun Tiangang.
He was not looking down on his senior brother. Even with sword intent, a primordial spirit restrained by a mortal body could wield only a fraction of its former power unless it left the body. But forcing his senior brother’s primordial spirit out over such a matter would be absurd. Better for Xu Ziqing to resolve it himself.
Yun Tiangang had lost his cultivation, not his knowledge.
He, too, recognized what Xu Ziqing had recognized. He stopped using sword intent and left the matter to Xu Ziqing.
After all, they would soon become Dao companions, as close as one body. There was no need to be so stubbornly formal that they harmed themselves.
Xu Ziqing’s expression was peaceful. He raised his head slightly, looking toward the distant source of the black light.
Sure enough, it was not merely a single attack. Several more streaks of black light immediately shot toward him, each just as powerful as the first.
…Is this a probe?
Xu Ziqing swept his sleeve and sent every black streak flying aside, leaving not one behind.
The deflected light struck several people who were too slow to dodge. It clung to their faces, and they dissolved into bloody liquid.
What cruel, domineering power!
Xu Ziqing frowned.
The resentment within that power was astonishing. It must have been refined over many years. Whoever stood behind it was clearly an extremely vicious person.
Why had the Wu’ao Sect become involved with someone like this? He had heard a Xiantian expert call the person “Old Ancestor.” Could this truly be a relative of the Wu’ao Sect?
The matter was not over. Perhaps realizing that the black light was useless against Xu Ziqing and only endangered his own people, the attacker stopped releasing it.
Then, in the blink of an eye, a figure shot through the sky like a projectile.
Rolling clouds spread across the heavens around him. Even the flawless white clouds were edged with a faint black glow, creating an eerie sight.
It became even harder to tell whether the newcomer was an immortal cultivator or a demonic cultivator.
Above the clouds, the man deliberately cultivated an air of mystery.
But Xu Ziqing immediately saw through his appearance. He was an elegant old man wearing a spotless cultivator robe, spiritual light coiling around him, three strands of beard hanging from his chin. His manner was leisurely and composed, making him look like a genuine immortal.
At first glance, he seemed to be a promising immortal cultivator. Yet under closer examination, although he was at Golden Core, his aura was muddled. Demonic qi was mixed with his spiritual energy, stripping it of purity and filling it with traces of malice. Even the depths of the old man’s once-clear eyes had grown faintly cloudy.
He was… an immortal cultivator who had fallen onto the evil demonic path.
And he had fallen so deeply without realizing it that he would probably never be able to return to the immortal path.
Xu Ziqing shook his head inwardly. He had not expected to encounter a cultivator here, but now that one had appeared, he had nothing to fear.
This Golden Core Perfected had failed to temper and stabilize his own power. Instead, he practiced unorthodox arts and possessed shallow reserves. He was certainly no match for Xu Ziqing now.
When the elegant old man arrived, the Xiantian experts seemed to have found their protector. They withdrew until they were beneath the clouds.
The Houtian martial artists did not appear to know who the old man was, but they, too, were alarmed by the strange sight and retreated along with the Xiantian experts.
The old man stroked his beard and smiled. “Youngster, why don’t you hurry up and stand aside?”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “This place is where my disciple’s roots lie. How could I give it up?”
A sharp light flashed in the old man’s eyes. He shouted, “So you refuse kindness and seek punishment! Then don’t blame me!”
With that, he flicked both hands repeatedly, releasing more than a dozen black talismans inscribed with blood-red symbols, which looked extremely sinister.
The talismans descended onto the Xiantian experts and instantly sank into their bodies through the tops of their heads.
In a heartbeat, black qi enveloped the men. Their faces turned deathly pale and their lips blood red.
Their movements, however, became much faster, and their auras grew dramatically stronger. Even the smallest movement now possessed more than ten times its previous might!
Some of them sensed the increase and rejoiced, their imposing auras climbing higher still.
The elegant old man nodded, then waved his hand and released nearly a hundred red talismans. This time, they fell upon the Houtian experts.
Almost immediately, the Houtian fighters’ auras surged as though they had instantly reached the Xiantian realm!
Such tremendous power made everyone feel confident!
The elegant old man pointed with two fingers. “Go!”
In the next instant, the Houtian and Xiantian fighters rushed forward like beasts released from cages, growling as they charged!
They immediately split up. Some attempted to surround Xu Ziqing and Yun Tiangang, while others attacked the sky above Yun Family Manor.
Countless corrosive attacks struck the protective barrier again. This time, although the shield shone brightly, its light dimmed slightly with every blow.
If the attacks continued, it would probably shatter!
Seeing this, Xu Ziqing frowned.
Demonic qi invasion? After this, these mortals’ cultivation would probably never advance again.
If they wished to progress further, they would have to continue becoming more thoroughly demonized. What was that old man thinking?
For a moment, Xu Ziqing could not understand his intentions.
But there was no need to understand. These people had already been demonized and could not be left as they were. Otherwise, if they became a private army in the old man’s hands, who knew how much suffering they would bring to the Hengwu Small World? It would be better to eliminate them one by one and allow them to reincarnate as humans again!
With that thought, Xu Ziqing acted.
He did not move his body, but swept his long sleeves twice.
In an instant, countless tiny particles flew from his cuffs. They were innumerable seeds, raining down across every corner of Yun Family Manor.
Then Xu Ziqing recited two lines of an incantation. Every seed immediately sprouted, bursting upward from the ground!