Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 872 Disciples of Hidden Sword Mountain

Her gaze drifted beyond the formation, landing on the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators draped in black cloaks.

She could pinpoint Zhang Mo's location precisely because the other Foundation Establishment cultivators all had close ties with him, and the threads connecting them were exceptionally thick, proving that these Foundation Establishment cultivators were led by Zhang Mo.

Upon closer inspection of the threads on Zhang Mo's body, she saw many threads pointing in different directions, densely packed, each thread connected to a person.

Some threads were outside the formation, some were inside, and some stretched eastward.

"It's true that they're from the Impermanent Ghost Sect, but it's not Mo Xuanyu. Mo Xuanyu definitely doesn't have this many connections!"

She carefully examined the threads on Zhang Mo's body and suddenly noticed a rather unusual one.

Sensing the aura emanating from the silk thread, her eyes lit up, "Mo Xuanyu!"

Unfortunately, the other end of this silk thread was far away, so she couldn't be sure where Mo Xuanyu was; she could only be sure that Mo Xuanyu was in the north.

Putting Mo Xuanyu's matter aside for the time being, the ghost woman continued to observe the cause and effect relationships surrounding Zhang Mo.

She can't see through cause and effect right now, but she can deduce some things through the connections between certain threads.

As she began to speculate, her expression grew increasingly grim.

"No, without external intervention, Lotus Heart Valley is doomed, and I will once again become a ghost soldier of the Impermanent Ghost Sect!"

"Damn it!"

The ghost woman's heart sank to the bottom. She had finally managed to escape Mo Xuanyu's control, and now she didn't want to be controlled by someone else again.

"There must be a way!"

Her figure blurred again as she walked out of the courtyard, searching for the key to breaking the deadlock.

At this moment, Lotus Heart Valley was a scene of carnage, with countless mutilated corpses lying haphazardly in the streets. The shops and houses were engulfed in flames, and the billowing smoke almost swallowed the entire Lotus Heart Valley.

Amidst the thick smoke, many cultivators were still fighting, their screams, pleas for mercy, and mocking laughter rising and falling incessantly.

Suddenly, a sword beam shot into the sky, killing three black-robed cultivators.

The ghost woman followed the sword light and saw a cultivator with an extraordinary bearing wielding a Qinggang sword, freely releasing its sharp sword light.

This cultivator wore a first-grade high-quality magic robe, his eyes were like lightning, and his aura was sharp. His sword light was even more fierce, as if it carried a certain artistic conception, making people feel cold at the sight of him.

His cultivation level should only be at the eighth level of Qi Refining, but his sword killed several black-robed cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining.

"This person is not simple, but he is not the one who can break the deadlock!"

The ghost woman shook her head slightly, and her figure disappeared silently into the chaotic street like a phantom.

The battle became increasingly chaotic. Even though the ghost woman's invisibility technique was very powerful, she was still affected by the chaotic magical fluctuations and her figure was exposed.

However, she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, while the black-robed cultivators in Lotus Heart Valley were all at the late Qi Refining stage. Therefore, even in this chaotic situation, she was still able to search for someone to break the deadlock.

……

A land of spiritual origin.

At this time, Yang Jizhen was unaware of what had happened in Lianxin Valley. He had just gone to Tian Shu Tower to check the intelligence on Lianxin Valley during this period.

However, the intelligence gathered by the Secret Martial Guard was inaccurate; they only deduced that a mysterious force might be planning to attack Lotus Heart Valley.

As the closest immortal cultivation market to the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, Lotus Heart Valley has long been a key target of the Secret Martial Guards.

However, the spies of the Secret Martial Guard are all martial artists, and the information they can gather is relatively general, making it difficult for them to obtain important information.

Therefore, they can only speculate on the movements of various forces through analysis.

Zhang Mo was hidden in the shadows, and the Secret Guard had no way of gathering any information about him, so they naturally couldn't deduce his plans and purposes.

Yang Jizhen left Tian Shu Tower somewhat disappointed. Just as he was about to go to Lingquan Mountain to ask Yang Zhengshan some questions, a streak of light suddenly flew out of the Reception Hall.

The light flashed and disappeared, landing in the Tian Shu Tower.

Yang Jizhen looked at Tian Shu Tower with a puzzled expression. Yujing City prohibits personal flight; one can only fly in specific areas by carriage, such as crossing rivers or leaving the city.

Just as he was wondering, another streak of light suddenly flew out from Tian Shu Tower and headed towards Lingquan Mountain Plain.

"What happened?"

Yang Jizhen was somewhat puzzled.

After thinking for a moment, he also headed towards Lingquan Mountain Plain.

……

Lingquan Mountain Plain.

Yang Chengye arrived in a hurry, just as Yang Zhengshan was drawing talismans in his study.

Over the years, he has never abandoned the art of talismans; on the contrary, he has used it as a way to cultivate his character, just like calligraphy.

However, he can only draw a few second-tier talismans at present, only four in total: Cloud Soaring Talisman, Golden Knife Talisman, Minor Teleportation Talisman, and Mystic Thunder Talisman.

"Grandfather, something has happened at Lotus Heart Valley!" Yang Chengye said as he entered the study.

Yang Zhengshan remained calm and methodically drew the talisman. "What happened?"

"The Secret Guards have sent word that someone is attacking Lotus Heart Valley. The valley is in chaos, the protective array has been activated, and there are many attackers," Yang Chengye said.

The message sent back by the Secret Martial Guard was not detailed, because there was only one spy in Lotus Heart Valley holding a jade token. This spy was a naval officer who had crossed the stormy sea with Yang Zhengshan years ago.

He now possesses the cultivation level of the Heavenly Gang stage, but in Lotus Heart Valley he is merely a low-level martial artist, working as a waiter in a restaurant.

“Many black-robed cultivators have infiltrated Lotus Heart Valley and are killing indiscriminately within it. The entire Lotus Heart Valley is now like hell!” Yang Chengye said.

Yang Zhengshan drew a small teleportation talisman with swift and powerful strokes, but unfortunately, it failed.

The Minor Teleportation Talisman, a second-tier talisman, allows a person to teleport twenty miles in an instant, making it one of the best talismans for survival.

However, drawing these small teleportation talismans is very difficult, and Yang Zhengshan's success rate in drawing them is currently less than 20%.

Undeterred by the failed attempt, Yang Zhengshan placed the talisman brush on the brush holder and said calmly, "I understand. You can withdraw our people as needed!"

At this moment, he was not worried about Yang Chengan and Yang Jizhen, because Yang Jizhen had the Jade Token and could return to the Spirit Source Land at any time.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Qingxia reported from outside the door: "Master, Young Master Jizhen is requesting an audience outside!"

"Yes, let him in!"

A moment later, Yang Jizhen arrived at the study, saying, "Greetings, Ancestor! Greetings, Great-Grandfather!"

"What's the situation at Lotus Heart Valley now?" Yang Chengye asked.

He thought Yang Jizhen had returned because of the unrest in Lianxin Valley.

Yang Jizhen replied, "It seems that things have been a bit unsettled in Lianxin Valley lately!"

He was unaware of the current situation in Lianxin Valley and assumed that Yang Chengye was asking about the frequent occurrences of calamities in Lianxin Valley recently.

Yang Chengye was slightly taken aback, and Yang Zhengshan raised an eyebrow, "Where's your young master?" "He's still in Lianxin Valley!" Yang Jizhen replied.

Yang Chengye's expression changed slightly as he looked at Yang Zhengshan, "Grandfather!"

"When you returned, there was no unrest in Lotus Heart Valley yet?" Yang Zhengshan frowned slightly.

"No! There's been unrest in Lotus Heart Valley?" Yang Jizhen was a little confused.

“Grandfather, Cheng’an and the others are still in Lotus Heart Valley!” Yang Chengye said worriedly.

Yang Zhengshan said to Yang Jizhen, "Give me the token!"

Yang Jizhen quickly took out the token and handed it to Yang Zhengshan. Yang Zhengshan held the token and instantly disappeared from the study.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

At this point, Yang Jizhen was still completely baffled.

Yang Chengye explained, "Just now, Lotus Heart Valley was attacked by an unfamiliar force. According to the message sent back by the Secret Martial Guard, many black-robed cultivators have appeared inside Lotus Heart Valley and are carrying out a massacre!"

"This..." Yang Jizhen's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but worry about Yang Cheng'an and the others. "Should we go look for Young Master and the others?"

"Don't worry! Our ancestor has already passed away. Let's wait here for now!" Yang Chengye reassured him.

……

Yang's Weapon Refining Workshop.

Yang Zhengshan frowned slightly as he looked at the messy shops and the collapsed courtyard wall. He then released his spiritual sense and scanned the surroundings.

His spiritual sense could almost cover the entire Lotus Heart Valley, but at this moment, the Lotus Heart Valley was in complete chaos, with mixed magical energy fluctuations and auras mixed together, which seriously affected his perception of the auras.

Finding no trace of Yang Chengye, Yang Zhengshan leaped into the air and looked down over the entire Lotus Heart Valley.

His appearance attracted a lot of attention, since he did not hide his aura and even released his spiritual sense to explore the surroundings.

Liu Zaixian and Lin Jiangchuan spotted Yang Zhengshan immediately from the air. They initially looked at Yang Zhengshan warily, but when they saw that his clothes were completely different from those of the black-robed cultivators outside the formation, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Liu Zaixian of the Qingli Liu family, may I ask who this fellow Daoist is?" Liu Zaixian asked as he approached.

Yang Zhengshan had noticed Liu Zaixian and Lin Jiangchuan long ago. When they came over to greet him, he replied, "Yang Zhengshan of the Lingxiu Yang Family!"

The elegant and refined Yang family?

A noble family from the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty?
Liu Zaixian was slightly surprised. He naturally knew about the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, but he didn't know when a family of immortal cultivators had appeared there.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Yang. What brings you here, Fellow Daoist Yang?"

Yang Zhengshan glanced up at Zhang Mo outside the formation and said calmly, "Several of my juniors have gone missing here!"

"I see. Since Fellow Daoist Yang is here, why don't we join forces to deal with these cultivators of unknown origin!" Liu Zaixian couldn't wait to win over Yang Zhengshan.

Given the current situation, the more Foundation Establishment cultivators they have, the more confident they are in protecting their lives.

Liu Zaixian was unaware that Yang Zhengshan had arrived suddenly and assumed that Yang Zhengshan had been in Lianxin Valley for a long time. Therefore, he naturally assumed that Yang Zhengshan was also trapped in Lianxin Valley.

Yang Zhengshan neither accepted his offer of enlistment nor refused, but instead asked, "How long can the great formation hold out?"

"Two hours shouldn't be a problem!" Liu Zaixian said.
"Why not clear out the thieves causing trouble within the formation?" Yang Zhengshan continued to ask.

Zhang Mo outside did not attack the protective array. At this time, Liu Zaixian and Lin Jiangchuan could easily eliminate the black-robed cultivators causing trouble inside Lotus Heart Valley.

But they haven't made a move yet, letting those black-robed cultivators kill and destroy at will.

"We need to conserve our magical power to deal with the Foundation Establishment cultivators outside!" Liu Zaixian said with some difficulty.

It's understandable that he thinks this way, given the current situation where he can't even protect himself, let alone care about anything else.

When the protective array breaks, every extra bit of his magical power will be equivalent to an extra chance of survival.

Therefore, none of them wanted to waste their magic power to clear out the miscellaneous fish in the valley at this time.

Yang Zhengshan could understand their thoughts, but he did not agree with them, because allowing these black-robed cultivators to cause trouble would be tantamount to putting Yang Cheng'an and the others in danger.

Liu Zaixian could disregard the lives of others, but Yang Zhengshan could not disregard the lives of Yang Chengan.

"I see!"

Yang Zhengshan ignored Liu Zaixian and waved his hand, sending strands of magical light falling down.

The magical light landed on the ground and immediately transformed into vines. The spiritual energy spread out, and the vines moved like snakes within Lotus Heart Valley.

Whenever it encounters a black-robed cultivator, the vines transform into a long spear and thrust out.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of vines appeared in Lotus Heart Valley, like soldiers clearing out the black-robed cultivators within the valley.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zaixian's expression became somewhat unnatural.

This should have been his and Lin Jiangchuan's responsibility, but now it was being done by an outsider, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

Lin Jiangchuan's attention was still on the black-robed cultivators outside the formation. His face was full of worry, and there was even a hint of fear in his eyes.

Yang Zhengshan was distracted by controlling over a hundred vines, which put a lot of pressure on his soul. Fortunately, his soul strength had now reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, so he was able to control the vines in a dispersed manner.

……

Western part of Lotus Heart Valley.

Six flying swords surrounded Zhang Yan like guards, blocking the attacks of the four black-robed cultivators.

At this moment, Zhang Yan's face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He was no longer as composed as before.

However, his six flying swords had already shown great strength, and he was still able to fight back and forth against the combined attack of four late-stage Qi Refining experts.

Zhang Yan knew very well that if things continued like this, his magical power would soon be exhausted.

"Am I going to die here?"

"No, I haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet, I haven't become a Golden Core True Monarch yet, I can't die here!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and the magical power in his dantian surged again, condensing on the Azure Rainbow Sword in front of him.

The blade of the Azure Rainbow Sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling light and shot out.

A black-robed cultivator was startled by the sudden sword strike, but he quickly calmed down because his protective magic treasure blocked the Azure Rainbow Sword.

"Haha, kid, your sword control technique is quite good. It's a pity you've met us brothers today!" the black-robed cultivator laughed arrogantly.

In fact, Zhang Yan was far more difficult to deal with than they had anticipated. The four of them originally thought that they could easily take down Zhang Yan by joining forces, but now they had been entangled with Zhang Yan for a quarter of an hour, and Zhang Yan still had the power to fight back.

"This kid is at his last gasp, brothers, kill him!" The black-robed cultivator seemed to think that Zhang Yan had no ability to fight back, so his attacks became more and more fierce, and he kept throwing various spells and magic weapons at Zhang Yan.

Surrounded by four men, Zhang Yan was struggling to defend himself when he suddenly took out a sword box from his storage bag.

The sword case is over four feet long, entirely black, and engraved with intricate runes, radiating strange spiritual energy fluctuations.

(End of this chapter)