Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 962 Luring the Snake Out of its Hole, Corpse Demon Technique
Wen Yu's expression was grim and uncertain. After pondering for a long time, she finally looked up and asked, "So what should we do next?"

"Find the person behind this!"

"Even if we find them, what can we do? Can we fight them?" Wen Yu said, feeling somewhat distressed.

The fact that they could scheme against the entire White Cloud Immortal City and the demon race, and even include Wanbaohang in their schemes, suggests that the power behind them is extremely terrifying.

With the combined strength of the Wen and Luo families, they are definitely no match for the other side.

Luo Cheng, however, did not share such concerns. He stated calmly, "Their target is not Baiyun Immortal City!"

"Not White Cloud Immortal City?"

"Yes, they don't want to occupy or seize Baiyun Immortal City; they just want to plunge Baiyun Immortal City into chaos!"

Luo Cheng explained his speculation: "The other side has not shown themselves from beginning to end. If their goal is Baiyun Immortal City, then they should have shown themselves after the demon race attacked the city, and used their powerful strength to intimidate the forces inside Baiyun Immortal City."

"If that's the case, we'll definitely have to compromise if True Monarch Baiyun doesn't show up. Wanbaoxing certainly won't meddle. As long as they have enough strength, they can take control of Baiyun Immortal City in a short time!"

"But they didn't. They gave up their best chance to control White Cloud Immortal City!"

"This means their target isn't White Cloud Immortal City, but something else!"

After Luo Cheng finished speaking, everyone in the Luo family was shocked.

They truly hadn't expected so many schemes behind the changing situation. As the saying goes, those involved are often blinded by their own interests. Since the demon race attacked the city, their attention had been focused on the power struggles within the immortal city, and they hadn't considered whether a powerful force was manipulating the changing situation behind the scenes.

This is actually because their thinking has become ingrained. Baiyun Immortal City has not experienced any turmoil for a long time. Even if there were some disturbances in the past, they were limited to internal struggles within the city.

Therefore, this time they immediately attributed the cause of the conflict to a power struggle within the Immortal City, without considering any external factors.

Luo Cheng, being an experienced and shrewd man, thought more comprehensively and saw things more clearly.

Wen Yu pondered for a moment, "Brother Luo, which force do you think is behind this?"

“I don’t know!” Luo Cheng shook his head. “The mastermind is from outside the Immortal City, but there must be people inside the Immortal City cooperating with them. They act very mysteriously, and they seem to have flaws everywhere, but you can’t find any loopholes in their schemes.”

Wen Yu's expression hardened, and he said, "But there aren't many who dare to scheme against Daoist Baiyun!"

"It's not many, but it's not few either. It could be a demon race force, or another human force, or a force we're not familiar with!" Luo Cheng said.

In the Western Regions of Wanhua, there are very few people and forces who dare to scheme against a Golden Core True Monarch, but they are not nonexistent.

However, besides the Western Regions of Wanhua, there are also demon races within the Wanhua Mountains.

Within the Wanhua Mountains, there are numerous powerful demon forces, as well as some hidden human forces.

These forces could all be plotting against True Monarch Baiyun and Baiyun Immortal City.

Furthermore, neither the Wanhua Mountains nor the Wanhua Western Regions are isolated from the outside world. It is not impossible for forces from other places to come and assassinate True Monarch Baiyun.

"Then what should we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die!" Wen Yu asked.

"Lure them out of their hole. We don't aim to eliminate them, but simply to expose them to the light of day," Luo Cheng said firmly.

With the enemy in the dark and us in the light, they can only be manipulated by the other side. Only by exposing the other side to the light can they have a chance to resist.

Luo Cheng was well aware of this. He invited Wen Yu over this time in the hope of joining forces with the Wen family to lure the enemy out.

Wen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, but at least we should involve the Shen family!"

“Okay, you go contact Shen Ming, and I’ll devise a plan to lure the snake out of its hole!” Luo Cheng said without hesitation.

The two then discussed some details before Wen Yu left.

However, after Wen Yu contacted the Shen family, he also arranged for Shen Ming to meet with Luo Cheng.

There are many misunderstandings between the three families. It will be difficult for them to trust each other unless these misunderstandings are cleared up.

Therefore, an open and honest exchange is unavoidable.

……

A few days later.

A ten-person team from the Luo family secretly left Baiyun Immortal City.

Although it was said to be a secret departure from the city, it still managed to attract attention.

To leave the city, one must pass through the city gate. Since one must pass through the city gate, one must naturally pass through the array's detection. Once the array is detected, one will inevitably be discovered by the array master in charge of the array.

Just as the team was leaving the immortal city, a formation master responsible for maintaining the octagonal watchtower on the city wall quietly released a communication talisman.

The message talisman transformed into a dim stream of light and landed in a courtyard within the city.

"The Luo family dares to leave the city! Hehehe~~~ Interesting, interesting!"

Inside the courtyard, in a dimly lit room, a figure shrouded in black mist examined the contents of a communication talisman with blood-red eyes.

"Since you're courting death, I'll send you on your way!"

As he spoke, he took out a basin-sized array plate, recorded some things on a jade slip, and then threw it into the array plate.

A hazy light emanated from the array plate, and the jade slip disappeared the next moment.

If Yang Jizhen were here, he would definitely recognize that this is a teleportation array.

Although it is only a very simple miniature teleportation array, it has some of the functions of a teleportation array.

Setting up a teleportation array is quite troublesome. It requires not only skilled array masters and weapon refiners, but also a lot of relatively scarce second-tier spiritual materials.

Even a teleportation array that can only transport small items is not something that an ordinary force can set up.

The teleportation array in this person's hand is very small and certainly cannot be used to teleport people, but it can be used as a communication tool, making it quite convenient to transmit messages.

Just after this unknown and eerie figure sent out the message, in an underground secret room within the Luo family mansion, Luo Cheng, Shen Ming, and Wen Yu exchanged glances and almost simultaneously crushed the teleportation talismans in their hands.

Normally, they would have to pass through the array to leave the city, but they could bypass the array's detection by using a teleportation talisman.

The Small Teleportation Talisman can teleport a person dozens of miles away, enough for them to leave White Cloud Immortal City silently.

……

shhh~~
The whistling sound of something cutting through the air rang out in the mountains and forests as the Luo family's ten-person team traversed the complex terrain at low altitude.

They traveled quickly, but also very carefully.

It kept flying close to the mountains and forests, and even concealed its presence, for fear of attracting unnecessary trouble.

However, trouble had already followed them from the moment they left the city.

However, this is a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole; their hiding is just a show for the 'trouble' to see.

Above the night sky, the waning moon, like a bronze mirror, is embedded in the mountain peak; pine needles, glistening with dew, gleam like blades. The night wind, carrying sand, scrapes against the rocks, as if sharpening a sword in the shadows. Trees lean like a line of knives, and bushes sway without wind.

Suddenly, black vines shot out from the forest like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, heading straight for the Luo family's ten-person team.

"Watch out! Enemy attack!"

Luo Fengxia, who was in charge, noticed the vines sprouting out and swung his black jade ruler. A ripple spread out instantly, blocking the large number of black vines.

The others reacted quickly, activating their protective artifacts or magical treasures immediately and preparing for battle.

In the dim mountain forest, shadows flickered, as if many things were moving, and many breaths were flowing.

Luo Fengxia stared intently into the woods, his brows furrowed in deep frown. "Let's go!"

Without much hesitation, he shouted to his people and fled in the direction he had come from.

"what!"

A scream rang out as a member of the Luo family was pierced through the chest by a black vine.

The vines, seemingly having absorbed blood and flesh, had turned from their original dark color to a dark red.

Luo Fengxia had no time to spare; while fending off the attacking vines, he led his people in a swift escape.

But in his heart, he was cursing incessantly.

"Damn, what the hell is this?"

"This is not a cultivator at all!"

"Ancestor, please act quickly! Otherwise, we're all going to die here!"

Although they had made many preparations beforehand, the current situation was still difficult for him to handle.

Because the mountains and forests were covered with dense, creeping vines.

The ghost vines entwined and covered the entire mountain forest, and they were like prey that had fallen into a trap.

The key point is that he didn't notice anything at all before the Ghost Vine started its attack.

"Hahaha, trying to run away? Since you're here, then obediently prepare to die!"

A sharp sound rang out, echoing in the cold night, sending chills down one's spine.

The next moment, Luo Fengxia suddenly discovered that there were more than a dozen figures waiting for them in front of them.

Upon seeing the dozen or so figures clearly, Luo Fengxia's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Refined?"

His gaze was fixed on one of the figures that he knew all too well.

Luo Fengya, his cousin, went missing a month ago after going out, but now he has actually appeared here!

Not only Luo Fengya, but many of the dozen or so figures in front of him were people he knew.

There were people from the Wen family, the Shen family, the Mu family, and their Luo family!

Before he could think further, more than a dozen figures attacked from the opposite side, and Luo Fengxia could only desperately defend himself.

"Luo Fengya, Luo Fengya!"

He stared at his kinsmen and roared through gritted teeth.

But Luo Fengya didn't react at all, only knowing how to attack him relentlessly.

Just then, Luo Cheng, Shen Ming, and Wen Yu appeared in the sky.

"The Eight Trigrams Lock the Heavens, Array Activated!"

Luo Cheng threw out a Bagua mirror, and at the same time, he threw out eight pillars of different designs at an extremely fast speed.

The Qian pillar, forged from Geng metal, is engraved with thunder patterns. The Kun pillar, cast from Xuan earth, is engraved with mountains. The Zhen pillar, cast in bronze, is engraved with thunder drum patterns. The Xun pillar, carved from rosewood with wind patterns, is engraved with cloud vortexes.

The Kan pillar, made of cold iron inlaid with ice, is carved with waves. The Li pillar, made of red copper with fire-carved details, is carved with lotus petals. The Gen pillar, made of black jade carved with rock spikes, is carved with thorns. The Dui pillar, made of silver sculpted with a lustrous sheen, is carved with poisonous flowers.

The Bagua mirror floats in the air, its front reflecting the Yang energy of Qian (☰) and displaying thunder, while its back reflects the Yin energy of Kun (☷) and giving rise to darkness. Eight spiritual beads corresponding to the trigrams are inlaid on the edge of the mirror.

Suddenly, the ground erupted with blinding Bagua light. A purple thunder dragon rose first from the Qian position, followed by a bottomless crack in the Kun position, thunderstones rolled like a tide from the Zhen position, and a gale in the Xun position shredded the leaves into sharp blades.

In an instant, the mountain forest was a scene of utter devastation.

As a top-tier second-tier array master, Luo Cheng's array skills are naturally beyond question.

The fact that Luo Cheng was able to set up the formation in just a few breaths is enough to prove his skill in formations.

His Bagua Locking Heaven Formation is very similar to Cui Yang's talisman formation, both pursuing rapid formation setup, but there are also significant differences between the two.

The biggest difference is that once the Bagua Locking Heaven Formation is set up, it cannot be moved, while Cui Yang's talisman formation can be moved at will.

Simply put, Cui Yang's talisman array is more flexible, while Luo Cheng's Bagua array is more powerful.

Thunder and lightning raged, grass and trees were battered by fierce winds, and rocks and soil were swept up. In an instant, the entire mountain forest was plunged into chaos.

"A myriad of dragons and snakes!"

As Wen Yu gave a low shout, the azure flag suddenly burst forth with frost-like patterns of light. The seven-foot-long flag swirled in her hand into a blue vortex, the dragon pattern on the flag suddenly became engorged with blood, liquid blue light seeped from the gaps in the scales, and two cold stars shot out from the dragon's eyes.

The flag suddenly trembled, its fabric bursting open like water, and a dragon formed from the swirling flow of indigo water burst forth. It refracted countless cold rays of light in the moonlight. As the dragon swung its tail, the blue silk on the flagpole shattered, turning into a mist that enveloped the dragon's head and soared into the sky. The dragon's roar was mingled with the crisp sound of breaking icicles, causing the surrounding leaves to frost over.

The dragon charged into the battlefield, instantly turning the entire battlefield upside down.

Shen Ming formed hand seals, his eyes blazing like torches, a golden wheel emerging from his back, its sharp, cold light flashing.

"Geng metal pierces the sun!"

The next moment, thousands of Gengjin arrows shot out swiftly, and wherever they passed, rocks crumbled, the earth caved in, and no vegetation remained.

With the intervention of three peak Foundation Establishment experts, the situation on the battlefield instantly reversed, and the figures that were besieging Luo Fengxia and the others were instantly defeated.

In the mountains and forests, the ghost vines hidden in the shadows were strangled to pieces.

"Hmph, trying to run away!"

Luo Cheng locked onto the strange auras in the mountains and forests, and invisible flying blades flew out from his sleeves, multiplying into thousands and sweeping away.

"Damn it!"

A furious curse echoed through the woods, but it quickly faded into silence.

Luo Cheng flew into the forest, which could no longer be called a forest. All the grass and trees had turned into broken branches and leaves, and some had even turned into ashes.

He cautiously observed his surroundings, his face growing increasingly grim.

"Where is he?" Wen Yu asked as she came over.

"They ran away!" Shen Ming said before Luo Cheng could answer.

Shen Ming had a handsome face, a refined and scholarly demeanor, and a humble and open mind. He looked more like a highly accomplished cultivator than Luo Cheng.

However, he has a straightforward personality and doesn't like roundabout things, so Luo Cheng and Wen Yu both felt that he wouldn't resort to underhanded tricks.

"He managed to get away!" Wen Yu frowned.

Shen Ming looked at Luo Cheng, "He's not a celestial cultivator, he looks more like a ghost cultivator!"

Luo Cheng flew towards a broken rock not far away and retrieved a mangled corpse from it.

"Ancestor, this is Feng Ya's corpse!" Luo Fengxia said with some grief and indignation.

Luo Cheng took a deep breath. "Corpse Demon Technique, and not just any ordinary Corpse Demon Technique. It should be some kind of Corpse Demon Technique based on Ghost Vine! This is a technique of the Yellow Springs Palace!"

"The Palace of the Underworld!" Wen Yu and Shen Ming both showed expressions of shock.

(End of this chapter)