Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 575 Destroying the Prince! Rising to the Fifth Rank!!

The forbidden area of ​​the Prince's Mansion.

A colossal altar, constructed from countless pale skeletons and pitch-black magic stones, has been completely completed.

The altar was covered with magical runes, and at its center was a constantly rotating black vortex that emitted a terrifying suction force that devoured everything, as if it were connected to some extremely distant and terrifying realm.

Four figures stood around the altar.

They were all dressed in dark purple Yin Kui Sect robes, their auras as deep and unfathomable as the sea, clearly indicating they were all powerful cultivators at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage! The leader, with a withered face like a corpse and two clusters of eerie green soul fire flickering in his eye sockets, let out a hoarse laugh, like bones grinding, upon seeing Zhou Xuanming enter:
"Your Highness, you've come at the perfect time. The 'Altar of Ten Thousand Demons' is now completely completed, and only the final, and most crucial, step remains—the blood sacrifice!"

The withered cultivator's eerie green gaze swept over Zhou Xuanming, his voice carrying a bewitching allure:
"With just the flesh and soul of three Golden Core cultivators as a catalyst, and their immense energy as fuel, the altar can be completely ignited, stabilizing the passage! At that time, the great 'Skeleton Demon Lord' avatar will be able to traverse the boundless void and descend upon this realm!"

He took a step forward, his voice growing deeper and more seductive:
"Your Highness, think about it! When the Demon Lord's avatar descends, it will surely sweep away all obstacles! The Fu family, who oppose you, are nothing but chickens and dogs, easily destroyed with a flick of the finger! At that time, not only Wuzhou, but the entire southwestern border of the Great Zhou will be under your control! The 'immortal demon body' and supreme power promised to you by the Demon Lord will be within reach in no time!"

Zhou Xuanming's eyes burned with fervor for a moment as he listened to this pie-in-the-sky promise, but it was quickly extinguished by the harsh realities of life. A look of extreme difficulty crossed his face as he rubbed his hands together and said:

"Your Excellency... this matter... could this matter be postponed? Or... could we use other cultivators with lower cultivation levels instead? In my palace, including those who just perished, only Chen Feng, Su Wan, and Elder Huang, who has been in seclusion for many years, remain as Golden Core guest elders... If we were to..."

He didn't dare say the rest, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

If he were to sacrifice the last three Golden Cores, his Seventh Prince's Mansion would truly become an empty shell, leaving him as a lone prince! At that time, even if the Demon Lord descended, what would he use to control the territory? Wouldn't he become a complete puppet of the Yin Puppet Sect?
The soul fire in the withered cultivator's eyes flickered, and his tone instantly turned cold, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression:

"Your Highness! Things have come to this point, how can we go back on our word? How can the flesh and soul of an ordinary cultivator bear the enormous energy required for the Demon Lord's descent? Only a Golden Core is acceptable! This is the minimum requirement!"

"As for manpower..." The withered cultivator let out a cold sneer, "When the Demon Lord descends and sweeps across the eight wastelands, are you afraid that no powerful figures will come to join you? At that time, all the Golden Core cultivators and even Nascent Soul cultivators of the entire Great Zhou will grovel at your feet! Your Highness, you must not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains, and do not let your indecisiveness ruin the Demon Lord's great cause, nor your own supreme future!"

Zhou Xuanming was intimidated by the other party's imposing aura, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Looking at the altar that exuded an ominous aura, and then thinking about the threat posed by Fu Changsheng and the "bright future" promised by the Yin Kui Sect, he was torn between his inner turmoil and his own fear.

Offering a sacrifice would mean severing one's own arm, completely binding oneself to the Yin Puppet Sect's chariot, with an uncertain future. Not offering a sacrifice... not to mention whether the Yin Puppet Sect would immediately turn against them, that wicked star Fu Changsheng... he is truly afraid now.

Zhou Xuanming's expression shifted between light and shadow. The withered cultivator's words were like demonic chants, stirring up a storm in his heart. The fear of severing his own arm and the insatiable greed for supreme power were tearing at his reason.

Just as his lips moved, almost gritting his teeth to agree to this insane blood sacrifice plan—

"boom!!!"

A deep, yet extremely penetrating roar suddenly came from the direction of the forbidden area's entrance! The entire underground space trembled violently, and even the swirling demonic energy vortex on the altar paused slightly!
"what happened?!"

The withered cultivator's eyes blazed with soul fire as he shouted a sharp question. The other three fake infant demon cultivators also instantly unleashed their full power, their chilling demonic consciousness sweeping towards the entrance like a tidal wave.

Zhou Xuanming was so frightened that he shuddered. The loud noise felt like a heavy hammer hitting his heart, abruptly pulling him back to reality from his wild fantasies! An extremely ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

"No...it's terrible! Your Highness! Envoys!" A panicked voice, accompanied by hurried footsteps, came from outside the passage. It was a trusted guard responsible for guarding the outer perimeter of the forbidden area. He scrambled in, his face ashen. "The...the Guardian of the World! The Guardian of the Gods! And that jinx from the Fu family, Fu Changsheng! They...they've broken in! The outer formations are no match for them!"

"What?!" Zhou Xuanming was struck dumb, staggering back two steps, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror. "How dare they?! How did they find this place?! Have that old ghost Xuan Yang and that woman from the Imperial Guard gone mad?! Aren't they afraid of being punished by the royal family?!"

Upon hearing this, the withered cultivator's soul fire flickered wildly in his eye sockets, and his voice became shrill and piercing: "Useless! It must have been you who leaked the information! Quick! Activate all defensive restrictions! Stop them at all costs! The altar is just one step away from completion; we cannot afford to fail at the last hurdle!"

He abruptly turned to the other three fake infant demon cultivators, speaking rapidly: "You three, follow me and activate the 'Myriad Demon Barrier'! Buy us some time!" At the same time, his eerie green eyes fixed on Zhou Xuanming, his voice carrying a chilling coldness, "Your Highness! Now is not the time for you to hesitate! Immediately bring the remaining three Golden Core cultivators from your residence! Perform a blood sacrifice immediately! This is the only way to survive!"

Zhou Xuanming was terrified by the sudden turn of events and the withered cultivator's fierce shout, his mind a complete mess. His fear of Fu Changsheng and the two officials overwhelmed everything, and he almost instinctively roared, "Fine! Fine! I'll go right now! I'll go bring them here!"

At this moment, all he wanted was to bring down the Demon Lord at all costs, as if that was the only straw that could save his life. He turned around and was about to rush out of the forbidden area to capture the person.

However, it was too late!
"Boom——!!!"

Another, even more terrifying roar, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of countless defensive barriers shattering! The incredibly thick stone gate of the forbidden area, engraved with countless magical runes, exploded as if it were made of paper!
Amidst the swirling dust and debris, three figures descended like divine warriors, storming in!
Leading the group was Fu Changsheng, surrounded by seven-colored light. He unleashed the immense spiritual pressure of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator without reservation. The phantom of an ancient giant sword in his hand exuded a sharpness capable of annihilating everything. His eyes were as cold as ice, and he locked onto the altar and the four fake Nascent Soul demon cultivators!

To his left stood the Zhen Shi Si Xuan Yang Zhenren, his hair and beard bristling. The pressure of his Nascent Soul realm was like a blazing sun, dispelling the cold, demonic energy in the cave. A crimson whisk in his hand emitted a scorching, pure Yang aura.

On the right, the head of the Divine Control Division—a female cultivator with a cold and aloof face, her eyes gleaming with divine light, her powerful divine sense, like an invisible tide, instantly enveloped the entire area, interfering with the operation of all divine souls and spells.

"Zhou Xuanming! You actually dared to collude with demons and build such a terrifying demonic cave! The evidence is conclusive, why don't you submit to execution!" Xuan Yang Zhenren roared like thunder.

"Remnants of the Yin Puppet Sect, today is your death day!" The head of the Divine Control Division said in a cold voice, filled with chilling killing intent.

Fu Changsheng didn't bother with any more words. His gaze swept over the terrifying altar that was about to be completed, and his eyes flashed with killing intent: "Attack! Destroy the altar and kill them all!"

The war broke out in an instant!
"Stop them!" the withered demonic cultivator shrieked, and the demonic energy emanating from the four of them surged into the sky, instantly merging into the array surrounding the altar. With a humming sound, an incredibly thick, pitch-black barrier composed of countless twisted demonic faces and skeletons—the "Barrier of Ten Thousand Demons"—suddenly rose, firmly protecting the entire altar behind it!
With a flick of his crimson whisk, Xuan Yang Zhenren unleashed thousands of scorching threads, like a net of heaven and earth, bombarding the barrier and causing the demonic faces to scream in agony, billowing black smoke! The head of the Divine Control Department's eyes narrowed, and an invisible mental shock, like a heavy hammer, slammed into the souls of the four demonic cultivators, causing their bodies to tremble violently and the barrier they were maintaining to shake.

Fu Changsheng followed the sword, and the phantom of the ancient famous sword burst forth with dazzling light, slashing fiercely at the Ten Thousand Demon Barrier with unstoppable momentum!
boom! ! !
The deafening explosion shook the entire underground cavern violently, sending debris raining down. The Demon Barrier twisted violently, instantly becoming covered in cracks, yet it struggled to repair itself thanks to the combined magical power of the four illusory infant demon cultivators.

Zhou Xuanming was thrown back by the terrifying aftershock of the battle, crashing heavily into the wall and spitting out blood. He looked at the apocalyptic scene before him, at the Yin Kui Sect demonic cultivators who were acting like madmen, stubbornly resisting, then at the three powerful figures of Fu Changsheng and his companions, their murderous aura soaring, and finally at the altar emanating an ominous aura…

The overwhelming fear finally overwhelmed all greed. He suddenly realized that even if the blood sacrifice succeeded and the Demon Lord descended, the first to die would likely be him, the one closest to the altar! These demonic cultivators had no intention of letting him live!
"No...it's not my fault! I was forced! They forced me!" Zhou Xuanming collapsed. He scrambled to his feet and, disregarding everything, crawled and rolled towards Fu Changsheng and the other two, screaming shrilly, "Save me! Patriarch Fu! True Person Xuanyang! Master Si! Save me! I'm willing to surrender! I'm willing to identify the Yin Puppet Sect! I know many of their secrets! Save me—"

However, just as he was about to rush out of the demonic cultivator's camp, a trace of extreme resentment and mockery flashed in the soul fire of that withered demonic cultivator's eyes: "Traitor! Trash! Let's sacrifice ourselves for the Demon Lord together!"

He suddenly activated a hidden spell.

A jade pendant that appeared to be an ornament at Zhou Xuanming's waist suddenly exploded! A burst of pitch-black demonic fire instantly engulfed him!

"Ah—!!!" Zhou Xuanming let out a shrill scream as his body melted away in the demonic fire at a speed visible to the naked eye. His flesh, blood, and soul seemed to become fuel, turning into a thick stream of blood-red energy that was forcibly drawn into the Ten Thousand Demon Altar behind him!

A royal prince with the cultivation of Golden Core was instantly sacrificed by the Yin Kui Sect's hidden contingency plan!
Infused with this immense energy, the Altar of Ten Thousand Demons trembled violently. The vortex in its center suddenly accelerated its rotation, expanded wildly, and its suction force increased tenfold! A terrifying will that sent shivers down one's spine seemed to be slowly awakening from the depths of the endlessly distant demon realm, about to cross over!

"Not enough! Not enough! We need more!" the withered demonic cultivator roared madly.

The other three fake infant demon cultivators' eyes flashed with determination. They simultaneously slapped their own crowns, spewing out large amounts of their life demonic energy, which merged into the altar! Their bodies rapidly withered, and their aura plummeted, but the altar, receiving this power, expanded its vortex even further, and its terrifying will became even clearer!

"Stop them!" Fu Changsheng roared, his attacks becoming increasingly ferocious. Ancient sword phantoms, Heavenly Punishment Thunder Spears, Purple Extreme Profound Fire... all sorts of powerful techniques poured down on the crumbling Demon Barrier like a storm.

Xuan Yang Zhenren and the head of the Imperial Divine Bureau also held nothing back, their pure Yang flames and divine sense attacks working together seamlessly.

at last!

Click - boom!

Under the combined onslaught of the three, the Demon Barrier could no longer hold and shattered with a crash!

The four fake infant demon cultivators suffered a backlash, spitting out black blood and weakening.

"Now!" Fu Changsheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he aimed directly at the withered demonic cultivator! This fiend was the mastermind and the key to maintaining the altar!
A radiance flashed again between his brows, and the [Void Talisman Guide], containing the supreme spatial laws, shot out silently!

Sensing a deadly crisis, the withered demonic cultivator screamed and tried to escape into the demonic energy of the altar.

But the speed of the Taixu Talisman surpasses that of space!
puff!
There was a slight muffled sound.

The withered demonic cultivator's movements suddenly froze, a small hole appearing in the center of his forehead, and the soul fire in his eyes instantly extinguished. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but his body crumbled like a weathered sand sculpture, shattering inch by inch, eventually turning into ashes and vanishing without a trace.

With the mastermind dead, the altar's operation seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Quickly! Destroy the core of the altar!" Xuan Yang Zhenren roared, his crimson whisk transforming into a towering wave of fire that swept towards the bottom of the altar.

The head of the Divine Guardian used his divine sense techniques to interfere with and suppress the other three heavily injured demonic cultivators, preventing them from tampering with the altar again.

Fu Changsheng took the lead, charging directly towards the swirling, terrifying vortex of demonic energy in the center of the altar! He could sense that terrifying will was rapidly approaching, and he had to destroy this passage before it fully descended!

He held his hands in a fist, unleashing his inner power without reservation. Five emerald lotus leaves on his golden core swayed wildly, transforming the boundless vitality into ultimate destructive power! Thunder, purple fire, sword intent... all kinds of power gathered and compressed before him, finally transforming into a seven-colored sphere the size of a human head, filled with destructive energy!

"Break it for me!"

Fu Changsheng used all his strength to smash the ball of destructive light, which contained his strongest attack at this moment, into the very center of the demonic energy vortex!

The other three demonic cultivators let out desperate roars, trying their best to stop them, but were firmly blocked by Xuan Yang Zhenren and the head of the Imperial Guard.

The moment the sphere of destruction plunged into the vortex, time seemed to stand still for a split second.

next moment--

Buzz... Boom! !!! !!! !!!
A terrifying explosion occurred that defies description!

A dazzling seven-colored light, like the birth of a star, instantly devoured the dark vortex of demonic energy! The destructive energy shockwave spread outwards in a ring, and wherever it passed, the solid altar built of countless bones and demonic stones was silently annihilated and decomposed, like ice and snow under the sun!
The three severely injured fake infant demon cultivators were swept away and swallowed by the destructive torrent before they could even scream, their bodies and souls destroyed!

Xuan Yang Zhenren and the head of the Imperial Guardian changed their expressions drastically and retreated frantically. They used all their defensive measures to barely stabilize themselves in the face of this terrifying energy shock. Their blood and qi were still churning and they suffered some shock.

At the epicenter of the explosion, the light gradually faded.

Where the altar once stood, only a bottomless, enormous pit remained. All demonic energy, altar fragments, and the corpses of demonic cultivators had vanished without a trace. Only some lingering spatial fluctuations proved that a terrifying passage attempting to connect to the demon realm had once existed here.

The passage was utterly destroyed. That terrifying, chilling will, after letting out a distant, resentful roar, slowly dissipated.

Inside the cave, all was deathly silent.

The smoke and dust drifted down slowly.

Fu Changsheng, Xuan Yang Zhenren, and the head of the Imperial Divine Bureau stood in mid-air, looking down at the huge crater below. They were all still shaken, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully... this catastrophe was stopped in time.

"Chang Sheng, this time... we owe you a great debt." Xuan Yang Zhenren looked at Fu Chang Sheng, his tone complex, filled with undisguised amazement and lingering fear. If Fu Chang Sheng hadn't defied the majority and acted decisively, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The head of the Divine Guardian also looked at Fu Changsheng, her beautiful eyes gleaming with admiration. She solemnly said, "Inspector Fu has uncovered the treacherous demons; his merit will be remembered for generations! I will certainly report this truthfully and recommend him for commendation!"

Fu Changsheng calmed his churning blood and qi, then cupped his hands and said, "You two are too kind. This is our duty. Although the Demon Cave is destroyed, the aftermath..."

Before he could finish speaking, a faint, dark light at the bottom of the pit caught his attention. The light seemed incredibly resilient, having survived the terrifying explosion just moments before.

Fu Changsheng's heart stirred, and he leaped down, carefully taking the object into his palm.

It was a black metal fragment about the size of a palm, irregularly shaped, cold and heavy to the touch, its surface covered with extremely ancient and intricate dark gold patterns, emanating an indescribable eerie aura that seemed to devour all light and perception.

"This is..." Xuan Yang Zhenren and the head of the Imperial Guard also landed, both looking puzzled upon seeing the object. Even with their knowledge, they couldn't recognize the origin of this fragment.

Fu Changsheng carefully sensed the patterns on the fragment, his brows furrowing slightly. These patterns gave him an extremely ancient and evil feeling, completely different from any runes or array patterns he knew of, seemingly containing some deeper fragments of laws concerning "devouring" and "destruction".

This object must be extraordinary to have survived such an explosion.

Fu Changsheng put it away.

Neither Xuan Yang nor the other raised any objections.

The three of them thoroughly searched the entire cavern, and only after confirming that there was no remaining demonic energy or any remaining creatures did they leave this desolate forbidden area.

Outside the Prince's mansion, the area had already been completely controlled by experts from the Zhenshi Division and the Yushen Division. The news that the Seventh Prince, Zhou Xuanming, had colluded with demons and betrayed his clan, and had been executed, spread like wildfire throughout the elite circles of Jingzhou, causing a tremendous upheaval!

Fu Changsheng, who orchestrated all of this and personally destroyed the Demon Cave, reached an unprecedented peak in prestige and reputation at this moment!
...

...

Wuzhou.

The residence of Princess Runyu.

The head steward, Zhao Cong, stood with his hands at his sides, clearly and logically recounting the shocking events at the Seventh Prince's residence to Princess Runyu behind the gauze curtain. His voice was steady, but upon closer listening, one could still discern a trace of barely concealed worry and fear.

"...Your Highness, this is the situation. Fu Changsheng, together with Xuan Yang of the Zhen Shi Si and the Master of the Yu Shen Si, stormed into the forbidden area of ​​the Prince's Mansion with lightning speed, killing on the spot the Seventh Prince Zhou Xuanming, who colluded with the Yin Kui Sect and constructed a passage to the Demon Realm, and his demonic cultivators. They also destroyed the altar and quelled a catastrophic disaster. Now, the Prince's Mansion has been sealed off, and the news is being strictly controlled, but I'm afraid...it won't be able to be kept secret for long."

Silence lingered behind the gauze curtain for a long time.

Just as Zhao Cong thought the princess was speechless with rage, a chilling voice, filled with extreme disgust and mockery, slowly rang out:

"Useless! Zhou Xuanming is a complete idiot and a piece of trash! He actually dared to do such a rebellious and self-destructive thing! He has completely disgraced the royal family!"

Her voice contained not a trace of sadness for her cousin's death, but only anger and disdain for being implicated.

Zhao Cong lowered his head even further, his voice becoming increasingly cautious: "Your Highness, please calm your anger. The most troublesome thing now is that the Crown Prince's faction and Her Highness the Eldest Princess have always been at odds, and their attacks on each other in court have never ceased. If this matter is sensationalized by those with ulterior motives, I'm afraid... I'm afraid they will use this to make a big fuss, impeaching Her Highness the Eldest Princess for lax household management and indulgence of her relatives, and even... falsely accusing Your Highness of having ties with the demonic path. Although these are baseless rumors, public opinion can be devastating, and I'm afraid they will be detrimental to Her Highness the Eldest Princess's reputation and grand plans!"

This is the real source of his fear.

The death of the Seventh Prince is not a pity, but the enormous disaster he caused may become a deadly weapon for his political enemies to attack the Eldest Princess's faction.

"What's the panic?" Princess Runyu's voice remained cold, yet carried a calm composure befitting a major event. "What's done is done; impotent rage and complaints are useless. The most urgent task is to minimize the impact of this matter on my grandmother's lineage."

After a moment's thought, she decisively ordered, "Zhao Cong, you must immediately report the entire story, especially the irrefutable evidence of Zhou Xuanming's collusion with demons and the construction of a passage to the demon realm, as well as the fact that he was executed on the spot and the demonic threat has been eliminated, through top-secret channels. Report every single detail to Grandmother immediately. Make sure Grandmother is fully informed before the news spreads, so she can plan ahead. Remember, speed is crucial!"

"Yes! This old servant will take care of it immediately!" Zhao Cong knew that this matter was of great importance and dared not delay in the slightest. He turned around and was about to leave to make arrangements.

"Wait a minute," Princess Runyu suddenly called out to him again.

Zhao Cong turned around: "Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"

The figure behind the gauze curtain swayed slightly, as if deep in thought. A moment later, the princess's voice rang out again, devoid of emotion: "Inform me immediately after Grandmother's reply. Also... continue to monitor the Fu family's movements, especially the possible rewards from the court after Fu Changsheng's incident."

A hint of confusion flashed in Zhao Cong's eyes, but he still respectfully replied, "This old servant understands."

When Zhao Cong returned to the palace after arranging the secret report, he couldn't help but reveal a hint of resentment and indignation on his face.

He waved away his attendants to make sure there were no more eavesdroppers in the hall before lowering his voice and saying with resentment, "Your Highness, this old servant... this old servant is truly indignant on Your Highness's behalf! That Fu Changsheng, who was clearly in Wuzhou, discovered such a shocking event, but instead of reporting to Your Highness immediately, he went to great lengths to contact the Zhenshi Division and the Yushen Division! Does he even care about Your Highness? Does he even care about the Princess's Mansion?"

The more he spoke, the more he found Fu Changsheng's actions despicable: "If he had come to report to Your Highness first, and Your Highness had personally taken action to eliminate the threat of kinship and cleanse the family, it would not only have minimized the negative impact of the demonic scourge on the Prince's mansion, but would have also highlighted Your Highness's incorruptibility and righteousness! It would have been entirely beneficial to Your Highness's reputation! But he did... He clearly didn't respect Your Highness and even stole a great opportunity from you! His heart is utterly despicable!"

Zhao Cong's complaints were not without merit. From the perspective of the Princess's Mansion, Fu Changsheng's actions did indeed seem like a disregard and an overstepping of boundaries.

However, after hearing this, Princess Runyu simply gave a faint "Oh?"

Behind the gauze curtain, her fingertips lightly traced a warm, smooth jade pendant. Her eyes were deep and cold, and far from showing anger, a faint, playful smile appeared on her lips.

'Fu Changsheng…you truly are not one to be content to remain subordinate. This immense achievement, are you unwilling to share even a fraction of it with others, intending to hold onto it tightly as a stepping stone for advancement?'

'interesting. '

Her thoughts raced through her mind, but she didn't tell Zhao Cong. She simply said in a calm tone, "Alright, there's no need to mention this matter again. Fu Changsheng has his reasons for acting. You just need to do your duty, closely monitor the movements of all parties, especially the news from the capital. You may leave."

Zhao Cong was taken aback. Seeing the princess's reaction, he had to swallow his complaints and bowed, saying, "...Yes, this old servant obeys."

He slowly withdrew from the main hall, his mind filled with doubt: His Highness seems to have been too tolerant of Fu Changsheng?

Inside the hall, silence returned.

Princess Runyu sat alone, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the chessboard, making a crisp tapping sound.

In the void before her, the invisible chessboard of fate seemed to reappear.

The chess piece representing Fu Changsheng was radiating an increasingly dazzling light, slowly moving from one corner of the chessboard toward the center with an undeniable presence.

"A spoiler... or... the new player?"

She murmured to herself, her eyes deep and unfathomable, before finally letting out a barely audible chuckle.

"Heh, Wuzhou is getting more and more interesting."

...

...

In the following days, Fu Changsheng assisted the two departments in handling the follow-up matters of the Prince's Mansion, taking stock of the spoils and writing reports, keeping him extremely busy.

Late that night, he finally had time to rest. After returning to the secret chamber of the patriarch's mansion in Huizhou Prefecture, he moved his mind and appeared in the small wooden house atop the Spirit Mountain in the Five Elements Space in the next instant.

He took out the black metal fragment he had obtained from the ruins of the Demon Cave altar and examined it carefully under the lamp. The ancient, dark gold patterns seemed to flow slightly under the light, exuding an aura that was both alluring and unsettling.

He tried to probe it with a wisp of his divine sense.

The instant the divine sense came into contact with the fragment—

A sudden change occurred!

The dark gold patterns on the fragment suddenly lit up! A terrifying will, cold, deathly still, yet containing an infinite desire to devour, followed that wisp of divine consciousness and darted towards Fu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness like a venomous snake!

This will was far stronger and more evil than the Demon Lord's will that had been sensed before! It was as if it were the source of all "destruction" and "end"!

Fu Changsheng's expression changed drastically. He immediately severed that wisp of divine consciousness and flung the fragment away! At the same time, he fully activated the "Azure Emperor's Longevity Technique," with seven-colored rays of light protecting his body. The panel in his sea of ​​consciousness between his brows shone brightly, attempting to resist the invasion of that will!
But that will was extremely strange and cunning, with a trace of the most primal aura of destruction, which penetrated through layers of protection and crashed into the depths of his consciousness!

boom!
Fu Changsheng felt as if his head was about to explode, as countless fragments of images filled with destruction and madness flooded into his consciousness!

He saw the stars vanish, the universe return to nothingness, all things wither away... everything ultimately returned to utter silence and nothingness!

"Ugh..." He let out a painful groan, his body swayed, and he forced himself to sit cross-legged, focusing his mind and energy on resisting and digesting the sudden and terrifying impact.

After an unknown amount of time, the destructive will from the outside was gradually suppressed and dissipated by his powerful divine soul.

Fu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, his face pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat, still shaken.

"What terrifying fragments... merely a wisp of remaining will, yet so terrifying... This is definitely not a power that the Yin Puppet Sect could control. They probably only obtained this by accident and are trying to use it..."

He looked solemnly at the fragment that had returned to calm and lay quietly on the ground.

"What is the origin of this object?"

Having no clue what to do, Fu Changsheng temporarily sealed it away and sorted through his other gains. With a flick of his sleeve, several storage bags appeared before him.

It was obtained from killing Elder Zhou, Zhou Xuanming, and those few Golden Core demonic cultivators.

He first picked up Old Zhou's storage bag.

This person, a hereditary retainer of the Prince's mansion, possessed a late-stage Golden Core cultivation and considerable wealth. Upon probing with his divine sense, the first thing he perceived was a mountain of spirit stones. A cursory glance revealed no less than 500,000 low-grade spirit stones, nearly a thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and three high-grade spirit stones, all shrouded in spiritual energy and with a restrained radiance.

Several jade boxes were placed to the side; upon opening them, one could see that they all contained fourth-grade spiritual materials.

A section of the Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood, warm to the touch, is highly beneficial for nourishing the soul; a piece of the Essence of Geng Metal, fist-sized, with a sharp and compelling aura, is a top-grade material for crafting magical artifacts; a bottle of Earth Core Jade Marrow, exuding a rich earthy aura, can be used for body refinement or crafting earth-type magical artifacts.

Several jade slips containing cultivation techniques were found, mostly from the royal palace's collection. They were of high quality, but none were particularly remarkable. Only one jade slip, titled "Primordial Magnetic Light Separation Technique," recorded a strange supernatural ability that manipulated primordial magnetic light and was specifically designed to break through the five elements of magical treasures, which caught Fu Changsheng's attention.

There were more than ten bottles of pills, mostly high-quality pills for improving the magical power of those in the Golden Core stage and for healing and recovery. Among them, one bottle, the [Spirit Nourishing Pill], was particularly precious, as it had a remarkable effect on repairing damage to the divine consciousness.

In terms of magical artifacts, besides the destroyed Golden Bowl and Nine-Arch Umbrella, there are still several: a [Black Dragon Snatcher], which shines with a dark light and is a good offensive artifact; a [Turtle Spirit Shield], which is full of spiritual energy and has considerable defensive power; and a set of [Mother and Child Soul-Chasing Needles], which is insidious and eerie, and suitable for sneak attacks.

What caught Fu Changsheng's attention the most was a black iron box that was sealed with many restrictions.

After some effort, he deciphered the box and found a broken, dark gold ring inside. The ring had an ancient design, with countless fine, star-like runes engraved on its surface, but its spiritual light was dim, as if it had suffered severe damage. Fu Changsheng tried to input his magic power into the ring, but it didn't respond at all, and his divine sense also sank without a trace.

"This item must be extraordinary for that old thief to treasure it so much. Perhaps we can find out its purpose in the future." He carefully put it away.

Next was Zhou Xuanming's storage bag.

This prince was even more extravagant, possessing 30% more spirit stones than Old Zhou. Various rare trinkets, silks and satins, spirit wines and delicacies filled most of the space, showcasing the extravagance of royalty.

The cultivation resources are equally astonishing:

A single fourth-tier spiritual herb, the Dragon Blood Mushroom, brimming with vital energy; a complete set of the Four Symbols Array Flags, an extremely powerful fourth-tier trapping and killing array; and several bottles of the Imperial Family's specially supplied Jade Liquid Golden Elixir, whose medicinal power is mild and mellow, far surpassing ordinary elixirs.

A red-gold token engraved with a coiled dragon pattern caught Fu Changsheng's attention. The back of the token was engraved with the three ancient seal characters "Seven Princes," exuding a faint imperial dragon aura.

"This is the Prince's Decree? It does have some use." Fu Changsheng played with it for a moment, then put it away.

In addition, there were numerous land deeds, house deeds, and mineral vein documents scattered throughout Wuzhou and even Jingzhou, all belonging to the Seven Princes. For the Fu family, who intended to expand, these were undoubtedly enormous assets.

Finally, Fu Changsheng began to inventory the storage bags of the fake infant demon cultivators. These Yin Kui Sect cultivators had mysterious backgrounds; they didn't have many spirit stones, but they had mountains of various sinister materials: [Hundred-Year Corpse Moss], [Resentful Soul Crystal], [Ten-Thousand-Year Blood River Crystal], etc., all of which exuded an unsettling, chilling aura.

Several jade slips containing demonic techniques recorded various methods for refining demons, controlling corpse puppets, and cultivating Yin energy. They were extremely evil. Fu Changsheng glanced at them briefly and then destroyed them completely to prevent them from spreading their poison to the world.

The magical artifacts were mostly demonic: a [Ten Thousand Souls Banner], within which vengeful spirits howled, which had been purified by Fu Changsheng's pure Yang True Fire; a [White Bone Soul-Slaying Sword], exuding a chilling aura; and several one-time use demonic talismans, which were extremely powerful but had astonishing side effects.

Among these evil objects, Fu Changsheng unexpectedly discovered a black token that was neither gold nor wood. The front of the token was engraved with a distorted character "傀" (puppet), while the back featured a complex star pattern. The token was icy to the touch, and his divine sense could not penetrate its interior.

“This item is no ordinary thing. Perhaps it is related to the higher-ups of the Yin Kui Sect?” Fu Changsheng put it away separately, to be investigated later.

After taking inventory, Fu Changsheng looked calmly at the dazzling array of spoils before him. Although these resources were plentiful, for him, the greatest gain was still thwarting the Yin Puppet Sect's conspiracy, laying the foundation for the Fu family's rise, and obtaining that mysterious and dangerous black fragment.

He categorized the various items, storing spirit stones, commonly used pills, and materials in his regular storage ring, while carefully putting away the precious items and the black fragment, intending to study and deal with them slowly in the future.

"call-"

Fu Changsheng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Previously, in order to instantly kill Elder Zhou and the others, he forcibly activated the illusory image of an ancient famous sword. Although he succeeded, it cost him three hundred years of his lifespan. Even with his profound foundation, a trace of imperceptible fatigue and vicissitudes inevitably appeared between his brows at this moment.

He stood up, and in a flash, he arrived beside the Mountain and River Town Clan Cauldron, beneath the majestic and vigorous Primordial Mystic Vine that exuded an ancient aura.

The main trunk of the Xuan Teng was gnarled and twisted, like a coiled dragon. Originally, only two new, lustrous, jade-like aerial roots hung down from it, exuding a vigorous life essence. This was the gift he had received after repairing the Xuan Teng. Each aerial root contained enough vital energy to make up for a hundred years of lifespan.

Fu Changsheng was about to activate his Qi root to make up for the loss.

suddenly--

The object in his arms suddenly trembled violently without warning! It was the black iron box that he had obtained from Zhou Xuanming's storage bag, containing the broken dark gold ring!

Almost at the same time, the massive trunk of the silent Primordial Vine trembled slightly, and its two hanging aerial roots moved without wind, reaching out slightly towards the secret box in Fu Changsheng's hand, conveying an extremely clear and eager "devouring" emotion!
The emotion was pure and intense, like an ancient behemoth that had been starving for millennia suddenly smelling the most exquisite delicacy!
"Hmm?" Fu Changsheng looked surprised and stopped what he was doing. He looked at the trembling secret box in his hand, then at the restless and eager Primordial Mystic Vine, and instantly understood.

"This thing is so attractive to the Mystic Vine?" He was a free spirit, and although he didn't know the exact origin of the ring, he trusted the instinctive judgment of the Mystic Vine, a spiritual root of heaven and earth.

Without further hesitation, Fu Changsheng opened the secret box.

The moment the box lid was opened, the broken dark gold ring hummed even louder, and the fine, star-like runes on its surface lit up on their own, as if trying to resist something.

But the ancient mystic vine reacted even more swiftly!

Two drooping aerial roots, as if possessing life, suddenly plunged into the box, gently yet firmly wrapping around the ring.

laugh--

A soft sound, like ice and snow melting, rang out.

The dark gold ring, made of an unknown and incredibly hard material, dimmed and softened at a visible speed as it was entangled by the two energy roots. It eventually transformed into wisps of extremely pure dark gold energy that emitted a faint starlight, which were greedily absorbed by the two energy roots!
Having devoured the ring, the two aerial roots became noticeably thicker and more lustrous, with subtle star-like patterns even faintly appearing on their surface, similar to those on the ring.

What surprised Fu Changsheng even more was—

hum!hum!
On the main trunk of the Primordial Mystic Vine, accompanied by a surge of rich life essence, two new aerial roots, equally lustrous and jade-like, slowly and visibly grew next to the original two aerial roots!

Four aerial roots!

This means that the ability of the Primordial Mystic Vine to replenish qi and blood and extend lifespan has doubled!
"Master! Master! Look! The Xuan Teng has grown new roots!" Qiu Niang was the first to sense the change in the life energy within the space. She flew over excitedly, circling around the newly grown aerial roots, her face full of surprise. "What kind of treasure was that in the black box just now? It could make the Xuan Teng react so strongly!"

The Flying Feather Beast approached with heavy steps, its huge head curiously rubbing against the newly grown aerial roots, emitting a deep, honest growl, seemingly happy for the growth of the Mystic Vine.

Bingyan fluttered its wings and landed on Fu Changsheng's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately with its little head and emitting a clear and melodious chirp, as if urging him to try the effects of the new aerial root.

Fu Changsheng couldn't hide his joy and laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased: "An unexpected delight, truly an unexpected delight!"

(End of this chapter)