Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 550 Unexpected Gain, Surrender, Terrified

"Chaos Lock Spirit, Seal!"

With a deafening roar, the ground of the entire Wu family's medicinal garden trembled, and beams of light shot into the sky from the location of the jade talisman, weaving together into a massive net of light that completely enveloped an area of ​​a hundred feet in radius.

Clan Chief Wu retreated in shock: "Fellow Daoist Fu, what is this...?"

"Clan Chief Wu, please step back." Fu Changsheng's expression was grave. "An uninvited guest is hiding beneath your esteemed residence, stealing spiritual veins to nourish his strange fire."

Before the words were finished, the ground suddenly exploded, and a gray shadow soared into the sky, its violent late-stage Golden Core pressure sweeping in all directions!

"Fu Changsheng!" Black Fiend True Person hovered in mid-air, his body wreathed in eerie blue flames, his voice as cold as the depths of hell, "A mere Golden Core cultivator at the third level dares to ruin my plans? Today I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead!"

Clan Chief Wu felt the terrifying pressure and his face turned deathly pale: "Late stage of the Golden Core realm!"

Fu Changsheng remained expressionless, flicking his sleeve to send Clan Chief Wu out of the array's range. Simultaneously, he transmitted his voice, "Clan Chief Wu, quickly activate the clan's protective array! Don't let this person escape!"

Black Fiend Master sneered, "You think you can hold me back in the early Golden Core stage? Utterly absurd!"

With a push of his hands, the Xuanming Ice Flame transformed into a blue fire dragon, roaring as it charged towards Fu Changsheng. Wherever the flame passed, the air froze and exploded, forming a strange vacuum passage.

Fu Changsheng dared not be negligent. He activated his Chaos Dao Foundation at full power, and a hazy blue light shield instantly formed. The blue fire dragon crashed into the light shield, producing a deafening explosion. The terrifying energy fluctuations overturned the ground within dozens of feet, turning spiritual soil into dust.

"Huh?" Black Fiend Master looked surprised. "It actually managed to block a strike from the Profound Nether Ice Flame?"

Taking advantage of the situation, Fu Changsheng counterattacked, condensing a chaotic sword aura at his fingertips, which swiftly pierced towards Black Fiend Master's brow. Black Fiend Master hastily dodged, but the sword aura still grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark.

"You're courting death!" Black Fiend Master roared in fury, his hands forming hand seals, and the Xuanming Ice Flame instantly split into hundreds of small flames, surrounding Fu Changsheng from all directions.

Each flame contained both extreme cold and extreme heat, and the slightest contact would trigger a terrifying energy explosion. Fu Changsheng was surrounded and seemed to be in dire straits.

The Wu clan chief, who was watching from afar, was on tenterhooks, ready to rush to his aid at all costs, when he saw Fu Changsheng suddenly reveal a mysterious smile.

"We've been waiting for you to unleash the full power of your strange fire!"

Fu Changsheng clasped his hands together abruptly, and the two arrays he had previously set up suddenly shone brightly. Countless profound runes appeared on the ground, forming a massive vortex. Black Fiend True Man was horrified to discover that his connection with the Profound Nether Ice Flame was being forcibly severed!

"You!" Black Fiend Master finally understood, "Your true target is the Profound Nether Ice Flame!"

Fu Changsheng didn't answer, focusing all his energy on activating the formation. The Xuanming Ice Flame, drawn by the formation, began to move uncontrollably towards the center of the vortex. The flame struggled violently, emitting terrifying fluctuations, and the surrounding space began to distort.

"Don't even think about it!" Black Fiend True Man bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence. The blood mist transformed into countless runes that merged into the Profound Nether Ice Flame. "The Sacred Flame returns to its place!"

Nourished by the essence blood, the Xuanming Ice Flame's power surged, temporarily breaking free from the array's restraints. Taking advantage of this, True Person Black Fiend flew up, intending to retrieve the strange fire.

At this critical moment, something strange happened!

The Xuanming Ice Flame suddenly froze, then burst forth with a blinding blue light. Within the light, the flame's form began to change, gradually coalescing into a blurry humanoid silhouette.

“A sentient being has been born!” Fu Changsheng’s pupils contracted.

Black Fiend Master was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed: "Hahaha, heaven is helping me! The sacred fire has finally given birth to a spirit! Ah!"

His maniacal laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by a piercing scream. The humanoid flame suddenly turned and struck Black Fiend Master in the chest. Terrifying extreme cold and heat simultaneously invaded his body; half of Black Fiend Master's body instantly froze, while the other half felt as if it were being scorched by lava, emitting wisps of blue smoke.

"Backlash?!" Black Fiend Master stared in disbelief at the sacred fire he had nurtured for so many years. "No! This is impossible!"

The newly awakened Xuanming Ice Flame seemed to harbor resentment towards the Black Fiend True Man who had long controlled it, and its attacks were merciless.

"How dare you turn against me?!" Black Fiend Master's body was half covered in frost, half charred and smoking, but a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "I raised you for hundreds of years, and this is what I get in return?"

He bit his tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence. The blood transformed into strange runes in the air, instantly disappearing into the Xuanming Ice Flame's body. The humanoid flame froze, letting out a silent roar, its lively eyes gradually becoming dull.

"Spirit-erasing secret technique!" Fu Changsheng's pupils contracted as he recognized this as an extremely insidious technique for erasing the mind of a spirit from the demonic path. He seized the opportunity to form hand seals, and two jade lotus lamps flew out from between his brows, their wicks igniting with chaotic fire.

hum!
Nine illusory azure lotuses bloomed, swirling around Fu Changsheng and forming an impenetrable defensive barrier. At the same time, his chaotic Dao foundation circulated wildly within his body, seven-colored rays of light emanating from him, and his aura surged, temporarily reaching the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm!

Black Fiend Master grinned as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth:
"Interesting, but not enough!"

He clasped his hands together, and the Xuanming Ice Flame transformed back into a dark blue fire python that coiled around his right arm. In his left hand, however, a pitch-black soul banner appeared, its surface covered with the wailing of countless vengeful spirits.

"The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls!" Clan Chief Wu, watching from afar, exclaimed in shock, "This person is actually an elder of the Black Fiend Sect!"

Black Fiend Master laughed wildly, waving his Soul Banner. Hundreds of vengeful spirits surged towards Fu Changsheng like a tidal wave, each carrying a deadly poison that corroded the soul. At the same time, the fiery python on his right arm suddenly shot out, splitting into nine in mid-air, attacking Fu Changsheng's vitals from different angles.

"Humph"

With a clear shout, Fu Changsheng caused the two lotus lanterns to suddenly lengthen, transforming into three-foot-long green swords. Wherever the swords passed, space slightly distorted, and the vengeful spirits scattered upon contact. He moved like lightning, weaving among the nine fire pythons, his twin swords dancing with a green light, deflecting all the incoming attacks.

"Not bad." Black Fiend Master smiled coldly, then suddenly slapped his storage bag, and twelve jet-black bone nails shot out. "Taste my Death Knot Nails!"

The bone nail was wreathed in dense death energy, specifically designed to shatter protective auras.

Fu Changsheng dared not take the blow head-on and retreated hastily. At the same time, a lotus lantern hung above his head, casting a clear light to heal the wounds eroded by the death energy—this was the third transformation!

"Hide? Can you even hide?" Black Fiend Master formed hand seals, and the bone nails drew strange arcs in the air, relentlessly pursuing him. Even more terrifying, a blood-red array appeared beneath his feet at some unknown time, with countless blood threads spreading outwards like living things, instantly withering the vegetation wherever they passed.

Fu Changsheng's eyes narrowed as he recognized it as the "Blood Fiend Devouring Spirit Array." Once entangled by the blood threads, one's spiritual power would be continuously drained. He acted decisively, and the flame of another Lotus Lantern suddenly exploded, transforming into a sky full of starlight.

"Star Imprisonment!"

Starlight rained down, and the space within a ten-foot radius instantly froze. The pursuing bone nails and spreading blood vessels all stopped moving, and even Black Fiend Master's movements slowed down by half a beat.

"Your skill is quite impressive!" Black Fiend Master's expression changed slightly, then he grinned maliciously. "Break this mere binding technique!"

His entire body erupted with blinding blood-red light, forcefully breaking free from the star's confinement. But this brief pause was enough for Fu Changsheng to create distance and regroup.

"Fu Changsheng!" Black Fiend Master's face twisted in a ferocious grimace. "Today I will take your life and slaughter the entire Fu family! I'll show you the consequences of offending the Black Fiend Sect!"

The words have not yet fallen.

As he made his hand gestures.

A bizarre ghost face tattoo suddenly appeared on his chest.

Suddenly, the tattooed figure opened its eyes and unleashed a jet-black beam of light that corroded even the air in its path!

Fu Changsheng had nowhere to dodge; the nine illusory green lotuses were instantly pierced through. He groaned as his left shoulder was grazed, and his flesh melted away, revealing his stark white bones.

Just then, a golden light shot into the sky from the back mountain of the Wu family, accompanied by a long roar: "Who dares to offend my Wu family!"

The golden light arrived in an instant, revealing an old man with white hair and a youthful face—none other than Wu Tiangang, the patriarch of the Wu family and a cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core realm. He had been in seclusion consolidating his cultivation when he sensed the terrifying fluctuations coming from the direction of the herb garden, forcing him to interrupt his seclusion and come to investigate.

However, the scene before him made Wu Tiangang freeze in mid-air.

"The Black Fiend Sect?!" Wu Tiangang gasped in shock. "Late-stage Golden Core cultivator?!"

The Wu family is in grave danger!
When Black Fiend Master saw Old Ancestor Wu appear, he laughed wildly: "You appeared just in time, perfect for wiping us all out!" He made hand seals, and the ghost face tattoo rose from his skin, transforming into a huge ghost shadow three zhang tall, radiating a terrifying pressure at the level of a fake infant!
Old Ancestor Wu's face turned ashen, and he muttered, "A pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivation... How is this possible?"

Is it that Heaven is going to destroy the Wu family?

Old Master Wu was about to risk everything and fight to the death.

But Fu Changsheng remained calm, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. The way he looked at Black Fiend Master was as if he were looking at a dead man.

“I had intended to spare your life to extract some information,” Fu Changsheng sighed softly, “but now, you are destined to die.”

He suddenly closed his eyes and concentrated, a clear sword sound resonating within his body. Immediately afterward, a beam of azure light shot up from the top of his head, transforming into a phantom of a nine-leaf sword fungus in the air. Each leaf was as sharp as a sword, radiating an ancient and fierce sword intent.

"Nine-Leaf Sword Soul, appear!"

With a clear shout from Fu Changsheng, the sword shadow suddenly solidified. An ancient sword, entirely crimson and entwined with the phantom of a fire dragon, appeared out of thin air. The two characters "Fenji" on the sword were stained with blood, exuding a fierce aura that made heaven and earth tremble.

"The Burning Sword?!" Black Fiend Master's expression changed drastically. "Impossible! How could an ancient sword be in your possession?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Changsheng had already unleashed a sword strike.

There was no dazzling sword light, no earth-shattering sound. Only a thin, hair-like red line silently traversed the space.

Black Fiend Master retreated hastily, simultaneously summoning his ghostly shadow to block in front of him. The ghostly shadow, at the nascent infant level, was cleaved in two like paper, failing to hold him off for even a moment. The red line continued forward, easily piercing through the seventeen layers of defense hastily erected by Black Fiend Master, passing right through his brow.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

"So fast."

Black Fiend Master stood there dumbfounded, a tiny red dot appearing on his forehead. The next moment, countless crimson sword lights burst forth from every pore of his body, and his entire being shattered into pieces like broken porcelain.

at the same time.

On the shattered body of the Black Fiend True Man, a hazy golden core, enveloped in dense malevolent energy, shot skyward, attempting to escape. The Black Fiend True Man's狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) face appeared on the surface of the golden core, emitting a shrill, mournful cry: "Fu Changsheng! This enmity is irreconcilable!"

"Trying to leave?" Fu Changsheng sneered, his right hand making a grasping motion, and a spear crackling with purple lightning appeared out of thin air. Ancient lightning patterns flickered on the spear, radiating a destructive aura.

"Heavenly Punishment Thunder Spear, go!"

With a soft shout, the lightning spear transformed into a streak of purple lightning, piercing the sky. The golden core had only flown a hundred feet when it was pierced through the chest by the spear. Horrifyingly, the spear began to writhe like a living thing, relentlessly devouring the essence within the golden core. The crimson patterns on the surface of the golden core struggled frantically, but ultimately could not withstand the power of the heavenly punishment lightning, and finally dissipated into a wisp of green smoke.

At the same time, a profound divine light shot out from between Fu Changsheng's brows, enveloping the mangled corpse of Black Fiend True Man. A phantom figure was forcibly extracted—it was Black Fiend True Man's soul. The soul looked terrified, and before it could even beg for mercy, it was swept away by the divine light and vanished instantly.

Deep within the underworld, inside the Heavenly Dragon Temple.

The soul of the Black Fiend Master suddenly appeared in the gloomy hall. He looked around blankly and saw eight illusory figures embedded in the stone walls on both sides. Each of them exuded the aura of the Golden Core level, but they were all imprisoned by some mysterious power, their faces distorted but unable to utter a sound.

"Where is this?" Black Fiend Master was terrified and turned to flee.

However, the guiding light suddenly transformed into chains, binding him tightly and dragging him towards a blank stone wall.

"No! Let me go! I am an elder of the Black Fiend Cult, you cannot—"

Amidst piercing screams, the Black Fiend True Man's soul was forcibly impaled into the stone wall, becoming the ninth Golden Core soul sealed there. His face gradually froze, transforming into an eternal relief of terror, just like the other eight.

……

Fu Changsheng raised his hand, and the storage bag beside the mangled corpse of the Black Fiend True Man flew into his hand. He scanned it with his divine sense and found that the restriction on the bag had been removed, so he casually put it into his sleeve.

Just then, the Xuanming Ice Flame that was suspended in mid-air suddenly trembled violently, and the dark blue flames contracted sharply, turning into a blue light and trying to escape!
"Trying to escape?" Fu Changsheng chuckled, and with a flick of his left hand, a pure white jade box appeared out of thin air. The box was covered with mysterious runes; it was the "Mysterious Ice Jade Box," specially designed to seal away the strange fire of heaven and earth.

"receive!"

He made a hand seal with his right hand, and the jade box flew into the air. The lid opened automatically, spewing out a silvery-white light screen. The Xuanming Ice Flame was enveloped by the light screen and immediately felt as if it were trapped in a quagmire, struggling and emitting a piercing scream. Fu Changsheng remained unmoved, his fingertips flicking, and seven chaotic seals were successively cast, each one precisely imprinted on the core of the flame.

"seal up!"

With the final hand seal completed, the Xuanming Ice Flame finally calmed down and was obediently absorbed into the jade box. Fu Changsheng then took out three golden talismans and affixed them to the opening of the box before contentedly storing it in his dantian for nurturing.

Seeing Fu Changsheng effortlessly collect the corpse and seize the soul, Clan Chief Wu's voice trembled:
"I had heard that Fellow Daoist Fu had once slain a fake Nascent Soul cultivator, and I thought it was an exaggeration. But today, having witnessed it firsthand, I am truly amazed by Senior Fu's divine might. Please accept my bow."

As Chief Wu spoke, he bowed deeply to Fu Changsheng. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with awe, and his posture was even more respectful than when he was facing his own ancestor.

the other side.

Old Master Wu also came to greet them.

Although he had already advanced to the Golden Core stage, the power of that sword strike just now left him without even the thought of resistance. The moment the Burning Soul Sword appeared, his Golden Core trembled involuntarily.

"Is this the power of a first-grade Golden Core?" Old Ancestor Wu thought bitterly. He had cultivated for hundreds of years before barely forming his core, but this young man before him was only at the third level of the Golden Core stage, yet his strength was already comparable to that of a nascent soul.

At this moment, he finally understood why the sect's scriptures referred to the first-grade golden elixir as the "foundation of the Great Dao".

"Fellow Daoist Fu!" Old Ancestor Wu suppressed his shock and quickly stepped forward to bow solemnly. "If it weren't for your intervention today, my Wu family would have faced annihilation. This kindness and virtue will be forever etched in our hearts!"

Fu Changsheng waved his hand and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Wu, you flatter me. Eradicating demonic cultivators is simply my duty as the Patrol Envoy."

Looking at the devastated medicinal herb garden, he said with a hint of apology, "It's just that your esteemed family's medicinal herb garden has been destroyed."

"What's a mere medicinal herb garden!" Clan Chief Wu hurriedly interjected, taking out a jade box from his robes and presenting it with both hands. "These are two saplings of the Seven-Heart Begonia. Please accept them, Fellow Daoist Fu."

Seeing this, Old Ancestor Wu nodded secretly, then took out a crimson crystal from his sleeve: "This is the essence of earth's core fire, which is greatly beneficial for cultivating extraordinary fire. Fellow Daoist Fu has removed a great threat to the Wu family; I hope you will not refuse this small token of our appreciation."

Fu Changsheng's gaze lingered on the Earth Core Fire Essence for a moment; this substance was indeed helpful in nurturing his Profound Nether Ice Flame. After a brief moment's thought, he readily accepted it: "In that case, I, Fu, will not refuse."

He then pointed to the center of the herb garden: "The root cause of the Seven-Heart Begonia's mutation has been eliminated. From now on, we only need to set up the 'Nine Yang Rejuvenation Array' in the garden, and it will be restored to its original state within three years."

at the same time.

A familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
"Ding"

"You have killed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Black Fiend Sect, gaining 10,000 family contribution points."

Fu Changsheng's eyes lit up.

But he wondered how many imperial merit points this could be exchanged for. This time, he shouldn't be at the bottom of the merit list of the sixth-rank imperial inspector.

Before returning to their tribe to rest.

He also had to go to the Zhenshi Division to have Xuan Yang Zhenren report the battle results.

...

...

The Black Fiend Cult's headquarters in the far west.

Inside the Soul Palace, a thousand skull lamps burned eerily, each flame illuminating a distorted human face. These life-soul lamps were connected to the lives of the core members of the Black Fiend Cult; as long as the lamps burned, their lives were secure.

"Snapped!"

A sharp crack pierced the silent hall. The old man in black robes guarding the soul lamps looked up abruptly, his cloudy eyes reflecting the strange change in the skull lamp in the center of the third row—the eerie green flame flickered violently twice before hissing and going out, leaving a wisp of smoke rising.

"Elder Black Fiend's life lamp?!" The old man's withered fingers trembled violently, almost spilling the lamp oil beside him. He scrambled to the lamp, making hand seals and chanting incantations in an attempt to rekindle the flame, only to see the skull crack open with a "crack," and then go completely dark.

"It's over." The old man's face was ashen, and he staggered back two steps. "The Black Fiend Master has fallen!"

He dared not delay, and with trembling hands crushed the jade talisman at his waist. A moment later, the gate of the Soul Palace was blown open by a gust of cold wind, and two figures floated in like ghosts.

The left protector, clad in a blood-red robe, had a sinister expression; the right protector was shrouded in gray mist, obscuring his true appearance. The oppressive aura emanating from the two, reminiscent of an infant spirit, forced the old man to his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold ground. "When did it extinguish?" the right protector's voice was like sandpaper, indistinct in gender.

"Reporting to the Protector, just a quarter of an hour ago," the old man's voice trembled, "Elder Black Fiend's life lamp suddenly ignited, and then......"

The Left Protector snorted coldly, and a line of blood flew from his sleeve, piercing the shattered skull. The skull immediately glowed with an eerie red light, and the final image vaguely appeared—a crimson sword shadow slashed through the void, but the opponent's face was not visible.

"This person actually possesses methods to shield himself from tracking. This cultivator from the Great Zhou Dynasty is truly remarkable." The mist around the Right Protector churned violently.

The Left Protector narrowed his eyes: "Black Fiend has been infiltrating the Great Zhou for many years with the Xuanming Ice Flame, how could he suddenly be exposed? Could there be a traitor within the sect?"

"The most urgent task is to retrieve the sacred flame." The Right Protector turned to the kneeling elder, "Notify all elders stationed outside to return to the main altar immediately to report."

After the old man withdrew, the Left Protector said ominously, "Before the Sect Leader went into seclusion, he entrusted the Sacred Flame to Black Fiend for nurturing. Now, both the man and the flame have perished in the Great Zhou. How are we supposed to explain this when the Sect Leader emerges from seclusion?"

From within the gray mist came the Right Protector's calm analysis: "Black Fiend was able to briefly unleash the power of a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he was still killed. His opponent was at least a Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage, and possessed a treasure capable of suppressing the strange fire." The mist rippled slightly. "I suggest sending Tianhu instead."

"That stray dog?" the Left Protector scoffed. "He's only been with my sect for a few years. Is he trustworthy?"

"Precisely because he is a defector cultivator, he understands the methods of the Great Zhou Dynasty best," the Right Protector said resolutely. "Moreover, his sect was destroyed by the Great Zhou aristocratic families, making him a common enemy of ours."

The Left Protector's eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty light, and he suddenly laughed, "Very well."

In a side hall of the Black Fiend Sect, True Person Tianhu was meditating. His face was refined and elegant, making it impossible to tell that he was a demonic cultivator. Only a twisted scar between his eyebrows hinted at his unusual past.

"Elder Tianhu, the Dharma Protector summons you," came the servant's voice from outside the door.

Tianhu opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them. As he straightened his robes, a warm, smooth jade pendant slid out from his sleeve, engraved with the words "Xuanxiao"—the very token of his former sect. His fingertips traced the cracks in the jade, a cold smile appearing on his lips before he regained his composure.

Inside the Soul Hall, the two guardians sat high on bone thrones. Tianhu bowed respectfully, and when his gaze swept over the broken Soul Lamp, his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

"The Black Fiend perished in the Great Zhou." The Right Protector cut to the chase. "The whereabouts of the Sacred Flame are unknown. Your sect, the Xuanxiao Sect, was once on the border of the Great Zhou, and the later Tianhu Sect was also stationed here. You are most familiar with the Great Zhou, so this matter is entrusted to you for investigation."

Master Tianhu's gaze fell on the shattered Soul Lamp—he knew Master Heisha's cultivation level all too well, and the being capable of killing this person was definitely not someone he could afford to provoke.

"I'm afraid I'm not up to the task," said Master Tianhu, his voice gentle yet firm. "Elder Heisha is at the late Golden Core stage; even he..."

"What, are you going to disobey orders?" The Left Protector suddenly interrupted, his blood-red robe fluttering without wind, revealing a pair of eyes like those of a venomous snake.

Master Tianhu remained composed, neither humble nor arrogant: "This subordinate is merely aware of his own limitations. For someone at the early Golden Core stage to confront someone capable of killing Elder Heisha is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock."

The gray mist surrounding the Right Protector rippled slightly: "Elder Tianhu is right." A withered hand emerged from the mist, a dark green pill floating in its palm, its patterns writhing like a living thing. "This is the Profound Barrier Pill, which can increase your cultivation by sixty years."

Master Tianhu's pupils contracted slightly. He had coveted this elixir for a long time, but the Black Fiend Sect was always stingy; today, they were actually willing to part with it.
The Left Protector added ominously, "Not only that, we will also send Black Hawk with you."

"Black Eagle True Man?" Heavenly Lake True Man was genuinely surprised this time. That Golden Core Peak expert, ranked among the top five in the sect in combat strength, was said to have one foot already in the Nascent Soul realm.

The Right Protector's voice came from within the mist: "Black Eagle is currently in seclusion cultivating a secret technique and will emerge in three to five years. You can use this time to make preparations."

Master Tianhu fell into deep thought. The Profound Yin Barrier-Breaking Pill was of paramount importance to him, and with Black Eagle accompanying him, his safety would indeed be greatly guaranteed. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a small, blood-red insect faintly visible in the sleeve of the Left Protector, and his heart skipped a beat.

"If I may be so bold as to ask," he cautiously began, "is there any additional reward from the sect if the sacred fire is recovered?"

The Left Protector suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh as piercing as an owl's: "What a greedy fellow!" He leaned forward abruptly, "If you succeed, how about I grant you three days of cultivation in the 'Blood Pool'?"

Master Tianhu's breath hitched. The Blood Pool was the Black Fiend Sect's most precious treasure; cultivating within it for a day was equivalent to ten years of arduous training. He immediately bowed: "This subordinate is willing to serve the Holy Sect."

"Very good." The Right Protector flicked his finger, sending the pill towards the Heavenly Lake. "You may accept this pill."

After leaving the Soul Palace, True Person Tianhu returned to his cave dwelling, activated all the restrictions, and then took out the Profound Barrier Pill from his sleeve. He did not take it immediately, but instead took out a jade bottle and soaked the pill in a special liquid.

“How can the things of the Black Fiend Cult be eaten directly?” he muttered to himself, then took out an ancient bronze mirror from a hidden compartment. The mirror was blurry, but it exuded an aura that did not belong to this world.

Master Tianhu bit his fingertip and drew a complex rune on the mirror's surface. Ripples gradually spread across the mirror, revealing a blurry image—the very cave where Master Black Eagle was in seclusion!
Amidst the billowing blood mist, a gaunt figure was cultivating, surrounded by seven crimson shadows. These shadows occasionally emitted shrill screams, clearly formed from the souls of living beings.

"As expected, he is practicing a secret technique." Tianhu Zhenren's eyes gleamed.

He put away the ancient mirror and took out the jade pendant engraved with the words "Xuanxiao" from his pocket. He gently stroked the crack with his fingertips, and a barely perceptible golden light flashed.

"He was able to slay the Black Fiend and also wields the Burning Silence Sword."

He suddenly laughed, a laugh that was completely different from his usual gentle and refined demeanor, full of calculation and ambition.

"Perhaps this mission will be more interesting than I anticipated."

Master Tianhu rose and headed towards the alchemy room to prepare the various talismans and pills for this trip. His movements were practiced, yet he paused from time to time, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he retrieved three silver talismans from a hidden compartment, their surfaces covered in intricate lightning patterns.

"Heavenly Thunder Talisman." He sighed softly, "Hopefully I won't need you."

After carefully storing the talisman close to his body, Master Tianhu gazed at the gloomy sky outside his cave. The Black Fiend Sect's headquarters was perpetually shrouded in darkness, much like the sect itself, filled with intrigue and scheming.

“Three to five years,” he muttered to himself, “enough time for me to make some preparations.”

...

...

Qinglei Mountain, the council hall of the Lei family branch.

A communication jade talisman flew through the air and was hurriedly delivered into the hall by the gatekeeper disciples. When Elder Lei Wanhe finished reading the contents of the jade talisman, his wrinkled hands trembled slightly.

"Gentlemen," the old man's voice was hoarse but clear, "I have just received news that Fu Changsheng, the patrol envoy from the Fu family, has killed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Black Fiend Sect in the Wu family's medicine garden."

The hall erupted in an uproar.

"The Black Fiend Cult? Isn't that a demonic cult from the far west?"

"Late-stage Golden Core? It's said that every elder of the Black Fiend Sect has their own unique skill!"

"Isn't Fu Changsheng only at the third level of the Golden Core stage?"

Amidst the murmurs, Lei Yunfeng, seated at the head of the table, lightly tapped the armrest, and the entire council hall immediately fell silent. Although this only Golden Core sword cultivator of the Lei family branch was just over a hundred years old, he already possessed the demeanor of a great master.

"Elder," Lei Yunfeng's voice was clear, "is the news true?"

Lei Wanhe handed over the jade talisman: "Absolutely true. According to eyewitnesses, the Black Fiend True Man activated the Profound Nether Ice Flame, briefly reaching the Nascent Soul realm, but was killed by Fu Changsheng with a single sword strike." The old man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, "What he summoned was the ancient, ferocious sword—Fenji."

"The Burning Sword?!" Lei Yunfeng's pupils contracted slightly. As a sword cultivator, he understood better than anyone else what this meant.

Lei Wanhe surveyed the crowd: "Gentlemen, the situation is clear. The Seventh Prince's Mansion and the Fu family are sworn enemies, and my Lei family's main branch is willing to be the Prince's lackey." The old man sneered, "When the Fu family settles its scores, the main branch will surely be implicated."

A young elder couldn't help but say, "But we have already severed ties with the main branch."

"Sharing the same surname, Lei, is the original sin," Lei Wanhe shook his head. "The Fu family won't investigate which branch or lineage you belong to. To protect your family, you must take the initiative to curry favor with the Fu family."

Silence fell over the hall. Three years ago, the Lei family branch was expelled from their ancestral homeland for opposing the main branch's allegiance to the Seventh Prince's Mansion, and now they live in a remote corner of Qinglei Mountain. If they are also targeted by the Fu family, they will truly have nowhere to turn.

Lei Yunfeng pondered for a moment: "The Grand Elder is absolutely right. But," he lightly stroked the hilt of his sword, "will the Fu family believe in our sincerity?"

"Therefore, a pledge of loyalty is required." Lei Wanhe was prepared, taking out a jade slip from his sleeve. "As far as I know, the Seventh Prince has secret dealings with certain forces in the far west. And the main branch, as a henchman of the Prince's mansion, is certainly involved."

The jade slip projected a scene—Lei Potian, the patriarch of the main branch of the Lei family, was having a secret conversation with a man in black robes!

“This is…” Lei Yunfeng said solemnly.

“The images sent by my informant within the main family,” Lei Wanhe said in a low voice. “If we can obtain conclusive evidence proving that the main branch is colluding with sects in the far west, that would be our best offer of surrender.”

An elder said worriedly, "But this is tantamount to a complete betrayal of the main branch."

"They betrayed the Lei family's ancestral precepts first!" Lei Wanhe suddenly raised his voice, "colluding with foreign enemies and acting as their accomplices! We are merely trying to set things right!"

Lei Yunfeng raised his hand to stop the argument: "We can't make baseless accusations like this. Besides, the main branch has the Seven Princes' Mansion backing them up, so we have to catch them red-handed. We need to plan this carefully."

...

...

Zhenshisi, Guanyuntai.

With a snap, the pod in Master Yan's hand closed, and the halo flowing across the surface of the pod gradually dimmed. At this moment, fine beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of this usually composed deputy supervisor, and his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

"Burning Soul Sword Heavenly Punishment Thunder Spear"

He muttered to himself, the crimson sword light that had annihilated the fake infant ghost still flashing before his eyes. Fu Changsheng's calm, serene gaze in the scene was more chilling than any ferocious expression.

"Fellow Daoist Yan, have you finished reading?" Xuan Yang Zhenren's voice came from behind.

The chief supervisor of the Zhenshi Division held a whisk in his hand, his gray-white Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, and a faint smile on his face.

Master Yan quickly adjusted his expression, turning around with his usual composure: "Brother Xuanyang, is this Fu Changsheng truly only at the third level of the Golden Core stage?"

"Absolutely genuine." Master Xuan Yang lightly swept his whisk, and the star platform was instantly shrouded in mist, conjuring up a phantom image of Fu Changsheng's cultivation journey. "Decades ago, he first entered the Golden Core stage; a little over a year ago, he was appointed a Patrol Envoy; now..."

"Now we can even sever the false infant." Master Yan smiled bitterly. "A first-grade golden elixir is truly terrifying."

He strolled to the edge of the cloud platform and looked down at the sea of ​​clouds below. The dispute from decades ago was still vivid in his mind—because he had supported Li Wanhu, that good-for-nothing, he had incurred the wrath of the Fu family.

"Is Fellow Daoist Yan thinking about Li Wanhu's matter?" Master Xuanyang seemed to be able to read minds.

"Brother Dao, you are wise," sighed Master Yan. "Back then, I misjudged him, making an enemy of Fu Changsheng for the sake of a worthless person."

A glint flashed in Xuan Yang Zhenren's eyes: "Young friend Fu is not a narrow-minded person."

“But things are different now.” Master Yan turned around and finally spoke his true thoughts, “With his current combat strength, if he holds a grudge about what happened back then…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear—he was afraid, afraid that Fu Changsheng would one day stand above him, and that the belated reckoning would be the most fatal.

Master Xuan Yang chuckled inwardly. This usually shrewd deputy supervisor had actually been intimidated by a junior and was now taking the initiative to make peace. He feigned hesitation: "What does Fellow Daoist Yan mean?"

"I would like to ask you, fellow Daoist, to act as a peacemaker," Master Yan said, bowing with utmost humility. "All that has happened in the past is my fault. Now that young friend Fu has rendered great service to the court, we should celebrate."

Master Xuan Yang lightly waved his whisk: "Empty words cannot show sincerity."

Master Yan was prepared and took out a jade box from his sleeve. The moment the box was opened, a beam of azure light shot into the sky, and a five-petaled azure lotus floated inside, with four mysterious patterns flowing through its heart.

"A fourth-stage Azure Lotus?!" Master Xuan Yang was genuinely surprised this time. "This isn't the one you cultivated for six hundred years."

“Exactly.” Master Yan’s lips twitched with pain, but he forced a smile. “I heard that young friend Fu is refining the ‘Three Talents Lotus Lantern,’ and this is perfect as the main ingredient.”

Master Xuan Yang gave him a deep look, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Excellent! I will certainly convey Fellow Daoist Yan's sincerity."

Just then, a golden light streaked across the sky, transforming into a talisman that landed in the hands of True Man Xuan Yang. The old man scanned it with his divine sense, his face lighting up with joy: "Speak of the devil, and he appears! Young friend Fu has already arrived at the yamen to register his war merits."

Master Yan immediately tensed up and subconsciously straightened his clothes.

Master Xuanyang found it amusing: "Fellow Daoist Yan, please don't worry. How about this, you go to 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' and wait there, I'll sound him out and then come looking for you."

"I'll leave it all to you, fellow Daoist." Master Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

...

...

Wuzhou City, East Gate.

Upon seeing the streak of blue light in the distance, the city's garrison commander immediately straightened his back and shouted in a booming voice, "Open the central gate! Welcome Inspector Fu!"

The heavy city gates slowly opened under the influence of the array, and the guards on both sides knelt down in unison. The figure that had been escaping landed and revealed himself; it was Fu Changsheng, wearing the sash of a sixth-rank Imperial Envoy. His left shoulder injury had not yet healed, but it did not diminish his imposing presence in the slightest.

"Welcome back in triumph, Lord Fu!" The general clasped his hands in salute, his voice filled with unprecedented reverence. The images of yesterday's battle had spread throughout the city—the power of slaying the fake infant with a single sword strike was enough to instill fear in anyone.

Fu Changsheng nodded slightly and was about to enter the city when he suddenly saw more than ten richly dressed cultivators emerge from both sides of the city gate. The purple-robed elder at the head of the group called out loudly, "Fellow Daoist Fu, please wait! I am..."

"Step back!" A sharp shout suddenly came from the city wall, and several Silver Seal Envoys of the Zhen Shi Si leaped down. "The Imperial Inspector is returning to his office to report; no bystanders are allowed to obstruct him!"

The old man in the purple robe blushed, but dared not act rashly. He could only bow and present a gold-embossed name card: "The Chen family has prepared a small gift to congratulate Inspector Fu on his great achievement."

Fu Changsheng didn't even glance at the invitation card, walking straight through the crowd. The Silver Badge Envoys immediately formed a protective formation, keeping the representatives of various noble families at bay. From the pavilions along the way, countless gazes, some filled with awe and others with obsequiousness, were cast down, but no one dared to step forward and speak to him.

“The third one,” the silver-banded envoy leading the way whispered. “Ever since news of your slaying of Black Fiend True Man spread, these aristocratic families have been like bees smelling honey.”

Fu Changsheng chuckled: "It's nothing more than opportunism."

Turning off the main street, the vermilion gates of the Zhenshi Temple came into view. In the square in front of the gate, Master Xuanyang personally greeted them, his gray-white Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, making him particularly eye-catching.

"This junior is ashamed; how could I trouble the supervisor to personally greet me?" Fu Changsheng quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Master Xuan Yang flicked his whisk, his smile amiable: "The proper etiquette must not be neglected. Come, follow me to the Hall of Merit."

Inside the Hall of Merit, a jade stele about ten feet tall stood in the center, its surface densely covered with golden names. Master Xuan Yang made a hand seal and pointed, and Fu Changsheng's name immediately appeared from the bottom.

"Sixth-rank Imperial Patrol Officer, Fu Changsheng, with four merit points, ranked 866th."

Fu Changsheng stared at the jade tablet; the top ten all had at least 420 merit points. He pointed to the top spot and asked, "This Senior Yan Chixia has 518 merit points..."

"He once killed a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator." Xuan Yang Zhenren's eyes showed respect. "Judging from his current trend, he should be able to advance to the fifth rank ahead of schedule."

According to the rules between North Korea and China.

A cycle of sixty years is considered a period. Once the time is up, anyone ranked in the top ten can be promoted to a sixth-rank patrol angel.

If one's own abilities are strong enough.

If you accumulate 600 merit points in advance, you can directly advance to the fifth rank!
As they were talking, the crystal plate beside the jade tablet suddenly lit up, projecting a scene of Fu Changsheng slaying Black Fiend True Man. After examining it closely, Xuan Yang True Man suddenly exclaimed, "Eh? The ghost face tattoo on Black Fiend True Man's chest seems to be a secret technique of the Black Fiend Sect?"

Fu Changsheng nodded: "Exactly. This technique can temporarily unleash the power of a fake infant."

"No wonder you gave four merit points." Master Xuan Yang stroked his beard and smiled. "An ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivator only gets three merit points. Speaking of which, you really gave Old Daoist Yan quite a fright this time."

Fu Changsheng raised an eyebrow: "Master Yan?"

“They’re waiting at Tingyu Pavilion.” Master Xuanyang nodded.

(End of this chapter)