Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 599: Survival to the End, the God Appears, a Great Harvest!
The last elder, Elder Zhao, at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, was terrified when he saw Elder Tu severely injured by the Azure Dragon and another fellow disciple instantly killed by three fourth-tier spirit beasts. Driven by his survival instinct, he roared and pushed his cultivation to its absolute limit!

"A blissful realm, impervious to all laws!"

Elder Zhao formed a hand seal, and a shimmering golden phantom emerged from above his head. Streams of seductive sounds transformed into a tangible sonic shield. At the same time, he summoned a palm-sized bronze mirror engraved with entangled male and female figures—his natal magic treasure, the Mandarin Duck Bewitching Mirror!
The mirror flashed, not as an attack, but as a reflection of countless beautiful illusions, attempting to disrupt Fu Molan's puppet control and Fu Changli's mental connection with the spirit beast, thus buying herself a chance to catch her breath.

"A mere trick!" Fu Molan's eyes were icy, her divine sense as firm as iron, unmoved by the illusion. Her fingertips flashed with magic, and the eyes of the dozens of elite puppets simultaneously blazed with a blinding red light. Their movements were swift and decisive, forming a profound "Breaking Army Immortal Slaughtering Formation"! Runes on the puppets' blades lit up, condensing into beams of destructive light that tore through the air, raining down upon the sonic shield like a storm!

Fu Changli remained unaffected. Her mind was connected to that of the spirit beast; how could a mere illusionary mirror deceive her? She shouted, "Wind, Thunder Fang, break his protective barrier!"

Beside him, a giant blue wolf (Wind Wolf) roared and transformed into a tornado blade, frantically slicing through the sonic shield; another thunder leopard (Thunder Fang Leopard) with wings on its ribs took to the air and spat out a bucket-sized bolt of purple lightning, which slammed down!
"Boom boom boom!"

The sonic shield trembled violently under the triple attack of the puppet beam, wind blade, and lightning strike, its light rapidly dimming. Elder Zhao's face paled, and he bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood essence onto the Mandarin Duck Bewitching Mirror. The mirror's light changed again, shooting out two pink, evil beams of light that aimed directly at Fu Molan and Fu Changli's true forms, attempting to relieve the siege by attacking from the rear!
However, at this critical moment when the old forces had just been exhausted and the new forces had not yet been generated, Ouyang Fei's killing move arrived!
The pervasive fragrance suddenly intensified, but instead of affecting the divine sense, it silently seeped into Elder Zhao's protective spiritual light, even penetrating his meridians through his pores! This was precisely the [Myriad Mysteries Corroding Spirit Powder] meticulously crafted by Ouyang Fei, specifically designed to corrode the spiritual foundation of Golden Core cultivators!
Elder Zhao felt his golden core in his dantian suddenly sink, and the originally smooth spiritual energy instantly became viscous and obscure, as if he were sinking into a swamp. The dizziness and vertigo were more than ten times stronger! He was horrified and hurriedly looked inward, trying to mobilize the true fire of his golden core to expel the poison.

But when masters clash, it's all about a split second!

His momentary distraction in expelling the poison caused a slight, insignificant delay in his control over the Mandarin Duck Bewitching Mirror. It was this fleeting opening that Fu Molan precisely seized upon!
"break!"

With a cold shout, a dark golden puppet hidden behind the other puppets—[Sword Puppet - Lightless]—suddenly activated! Its speed was extremely fast, and the lightless longsword in its hand drew a thin black line that was almost invisible in space, ignoring the remaining sonic shield and directly striking the main body of the Mandarin Duck Bewitching Mirror!

"Ding—Click!"

With a crisp sound, his natal magic weapon was damaged, and Elder Zhao's mind trembled violently, spitting out another mouthful of blood. His protective aura, weakened by stagnant spiritual energy and a broken mind, became as thin as a cicada's wing!

"Roar!"

Fu Changli's third spirit beast—the Ironclad Bear—seized the opportunity, its massive body slamming into Elder Zhao with immense force!
"puff!"

His protective aura shattered completely, and Elder Zhao felt as if he had been struck by a mountain, countless bones broken. He tried to struggle, but his vision was now filled with the cold glint of the puppets' swords and the sharp claws and fangs of the spirit beasts…

The desperate screams came to an abrupt end.

……

"Gather resources, and be quick!" Fu Molan calmly ordered, her voice even, yet carrying a barely perceptible urgency. The opportunity was fleeting; everything had to be completed before the Joyful Sect reinforcements arrived.

Upon hearing this, Fu Changli immediately sprang into action. With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, the spirit beasts, already prepared, seemed to receive a supreme command. Several emerald-green, deer-like [Spirit-Sniffing Tapirs] were the first to rush into the herb field, their long noses lightly tapping to accurately identify the age and spiritual energy concentration of each spiritual plant. Following closely behind, dozens of nimble, sharp-clawed [Herb-Gathering Monkeys], guided by the [Spirit-Sniffing Tapirs], carefully dug up each valuable spiritual herb, like the most skilled old herb farmers.

"Look at this [Dragon Pattern Crimson Pearl Grass]! Look at the patterns, it's been cultivated for at least eight hundred years!" Fu Changli's voice was filled with surprise as she directed her spirit beast to dig out a spirit grass with golden dragon patterns on its leaves and emitting a hazy red light, along with a large clod of spirit soil.

"Over there! That's a patch of [Nine-Heart Begonia]! It's actually a rare variant, [Ice Flame Nine-Heart]!" A grove of begonias stretched out before them, their blossoms half ice blue and half crimson, incredibly strange and radiating a powerful spiritual energy. The spirit beasts moved swiftly yet with utmost gentleness, ensuring no damage was done to the plants' very essence.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Fei's side was like a treasure trove unearthed. His figure moved like smoke, directly breaking through the numerous restrictions on the branch's storeroom. Inside, boxes of high-grade spirit stones emitted a soft glow, and various refined elixirs were neatly arranged, including many highly beneficial [Spirit Nourishing Pills] and [Gold Refining Pills] for Golden Core cultivators.

But the real surprise was discovered by Ouyang Fei in a deeply hidden compartment. When he used potent poison to corrode the last layer of disguise on the compartment, an intensely rich medicinal fragrance mixed with a strange vitality wafted out!

Inside the hidden compartment were no ordinary items. Three jade boxes, crafted from millennia-old warm jade, were displayed quietly.

Ouyang Fei swiftly opened the first jade box, inside which was a small, palm-sized Ganoderma lucidum (spirit mushroom) that displayed seven ever-changing colors—the [Seven-Colored Spirit-Nourishing Ganoderma]! This was a sacred medicine for nourishing the soul.
The second jade box contained a section of vine that resembled purple crystal—the [Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Lightning-Struck Wood Heart Vine]! This was an excellent material for refining top-tier lightning-attribute magic weapons and even for nurturing seeds of lightning-type divine abilities!

When the third jade box was opened, even someone as composed as Ouyang Fei's pupils slightly contracted. Inside were not complete spiritual herbs, but three perfectly round seeds, each the size of a pigeon egg, with what appeared to be flowing golden liquid inside—[Golden Elixir Bodhi Seeds]! Legend has it that this tree bears fruit only once every thousand years, and the fruit can cleanse the marrow and greatly improve the quality of the Golden Elixir; its value is immeasurable!
"Such rare treasures...no wonder three Golden Core cultivators are needed to guard them!" Ouyang Fei suppressed his shock and without hesitation swept away the three jade boxes along with all the resources in the warehouse that caught his eye. As for the raw materials and low-grade pills that were too bulky or inconvenient to carry, he directly sprinkled them with Corpse-Dissolving and Bone-Corpse-Rotting Poison, instantly turning them into pus, leaving absolutely nothing for the Joyful Sect.

The entire process was astonishingly efficient. By the time Fu Changli's spirit beast had finished plundering the last rare medicinal herb field and Ouyang Fei had destroyed the last alchemy furnace, it had been exactly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"withdraw!"

The azure dragon with its azure scales reappeared. Fu Molan waved her hand, and all the puppets transformed into streams of light and were retrieved into her storage bracelet. Fu Changli also summoned back her spirit beast. The three of them returned laden with their spoils and leaped onto the dragon's back.

A burst of azure light flashed, and the azure dragon let out a triumphant roar, carrying the three people and their enormous spoils, instantly disappearing into the horizon at such a speed that it was as if it had never existed.

When the first batch of Joyful Sect reinforcements arrived, filled with boundless rage, all they saw were broken walls and ruins, still-warm corpses, warehouses ransacked, and... fields of spirit herbs reduced to pits, as if swarmed by locusts. Especially when they discovered the forcibly broken-open secret compartment was completely empty, the leading Golden Core elder was so enraged he nearly vomited blood!

"Seven-colored Divine Mushroom! Lightning-struck Wood Heart Vine! And... Golden Elixir Bodhi Seed! It's all... It's all over!" The mournful roar echoed over the ruins, but it couldn't catch up with the long-gone blue meteor.

...

...

Huixi County, Wuzhou.

Above the extinct volcano, the air seemed to freeze. Fairy Chilian and Abbess Jingyue concealed themselves among the clouds, the imposing array below sending chills down their spines.

"Nine Transformations Dragon Array, Eight Gates Spirit Locking Array... and layered illusion arrays and killing arrays!" The Crimson Serpent Fairy meticulously probed with her divine sense, her heart pounding with increasing dread. This was no hastily constructed array, but a mountain-protecting formation meticulously prepared over decades! At the array's core, Fu Yongyao and the Heavenly Sound Fairy's auras were connected to the earth's veins, as stable as a rock. Further outwards, the auras of Golden Core cultivators like Wu Jiyuan and Ouyang Qing resonated with the array, subtly forming an "anti-Golden Core battle array," specifically designed to counter surprise attacks from high-level cultivators!
"When did the Fu family acquire such a foundation? And how could those old foxes in Wuzhou be so united?!" Abbess Jingyue's thin fingers gripped the whisk tightly, her knuckles turning white. The scene of revenge she imagined was one of swift and decisive victory, of personally slaying her enemies, not facing a fortress as impenetrable as an iron hedgehog!

Cold sweat beaded on the Crimson Serpent Fairy's palms. The Breaking-the-Forms Pearl in her sleeve was scalding hot, like a hot potato. She had no doubt that if she forced her way through the formation, she would instantly attract a thunderous barrage of attacks! No matter how strong the two of them were, they couldn't withstand an attack from several times their own strength, let alone this terrifying formation!
"Senior sister, this is hopeless, let's retreat!" She made a decisive decision, her voice filled with unwavering resolve.

"Retreat? This old nun has waited for decades, and all she gets is the word 'retreat'?!" Master Jingyue's eyes were bloodshot, and her resentment was almost tangible. "Even if I die, I will bite off a piece of the Fu family's flesh!" The dark death aura around her began to surge uncontrollably, showing signs of her forcibly attacking!
At this critical moment——

"Buzz!"

The blood-red communication talisman in the Crimson Fairy's arms trembled violently, emitting a burning pain! She sent a wisp of her divine sense to probe it, and the next moment, the color drained from her face, and her delicate body trembled violently, as if frozen by the Nine Heavens Mystic Ice!
The message within the message was not text, but rather fragments of images interspersed with terrified screams and violent explosions:

Thick smoke billowed from Black Wind Herb Valley, the carefully cultivated thousand-year-old spiritual herbs were uprooted, and the guardian elder Tu Lie's life-life lamp had been extinguished!

A fleeting image flashes by: the hematite vein collapses and sinks, the core mineral essence is looted, and the remaining steward is critically injured and on the verge of death!

Three, three very important branch strongholds were uprooted! Six Golden Core elders perished, and four were seriously injured! The enemy was even so arrogant as to record the destruction with a recording stone and send it over with a communication talisman!
The final footage is an overhead view of the Azure Dragon's massive figure carrying three people as it speeds toward the next resource point!
"A feint to the east while attacking in the west... What a ruthless Fu Changsheng! Such cruel methods!" Fairy Chilian spat out these words through gritted teeth, her heart bleeding! Those branch sects were the culmination of hundreds of years of the sect's efforts, the foundation for its future rise! Every time one was destroyed, the Joyful Sect's vitality was diminished!
"The sect's foundation is shaken; we must return to its aid! Otherwise, all is lost!" Ignoring Abbess Jingyue's reaction, Fairy Chilian grabbed her arm and vanished in a flash! At that moment, the roles of attacker and defender reversed, hunter and prey instantly reversed!
However, Abbess Jingyue was suddenly jolted and broke free from Fairy Chilian's grasp! She turned back and stared intently at the direction of the dormant volcano, her eyes filled with a strange light that was a mixture of madness and determination.

"Go back and save your sect! The old nun's revenge must be taken today!"

Over the years, she has been constantly gathering information about the Fu family, from their overt business operations to their covert power structures.

"Fu Changsheng...you killed my daughter and destroyed my lover, this hatred is irreconcilable! You hide in your turtle shell, but I will tear you apart first, so that you can also taste the pain of losing your loved one!" She sneered inwardly, her divine sense filtering through the intelligence she had collected in the past, like the most precise sieve.

Soon, a target became clear in her mind.

However, when she arrived over Huiyang County, her brows furrowed tightly.

The county town below was not as poorly defended as one might imagine.

A solid, pale yellow light shield enveloped the entire city, with runes flowing across it, faintly emitting powerful spiritual energy fluctuations belonging to the late stage of the fourth rank! On the city walls, soldiers patrolled in an orderly manner, and cultivators were stationed at each array point. Although there was no aura of Golden Core cultivators, the level of vigilance far exceeded that of ordinary county cities.

"They are indeed vigilant... It's a pity that a mere late-stage fourth-order grand formation can stop this old nun?" Abbess Jingyue sneered, her tone sarcastic. "Is the Fu family out of talent? To actually let their son-in-law guard this important place, it's truly heaven's help!"

Although she was extreme and ruthless, she possessed astonishing skill in array formations, having already reached the level of a near-fifth-tier array master. The array before her, though extraordinary, was not yet a threat to her.

With a flick of her sleeve, an ancient [Heavenly Trigram Array Plate] floated before her, the eight trigrams on the plate shifting and emanating a profound aura. Master Jingyue's withered fingers moved rapidly in a series of gestures.

"The Kan water shifts, the Li fire shines alone... Hmph, so it's a variant of the 'Thick Earth Bearing All Things' formation, borrowing the power of the earth's veins for defense, which does fit the energy of this spiritual valley's origin. Unfortunately, the person who set up the formation lacked skill; there's a slight blockage at the junction of the southeast 'Life Gate' and the earth's veins, and the northwest 'Surprise Gate' has excessive spiritual energy, which becomes a weakness..."

Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, a glint of light flashed in Master Jingyue's eyes.

"found it!"

A savage grin spread across her face, and she suddenly unleashed the dark Buddhist whisk that had been with her for many years and stained with countless drops of blood. It grew longer in the wind, transforming into a gray torrent containing an aura of deathly stillness, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through space, and slammed fiercely into the array eye in the west of the city!

"Give this old nun a break!"

Before the Buddha's dust even arrived, the terrifying pressure of the False Infant Realm had already almost solidified the air in that area.

"boom--!"

The entire city of Huiyang trembled violently, ripples spreading wildly across the light shield, runes flickering and emitting a groan of unbearable strain. The lower-level guards on the city walls were thrown into disarray by the force of the recoil.

Inside the prefectural governor's mansion, the three Qin brothers' faces turned pale simultaneously. Their auras were connected to the core of the city's protective array, and this attack caused their blood and qi to surge.

Qin Daqiang suppressed the metallic taste in his throat, his voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the city:
"Hold on! The core of the formation is intact! Everyone to your positions, channel your spiritual power! Reinforcements from the clan will arrive shortly!"

The voice carried an undeniable calmness, instantly soothing many of the panicked defenders.

Qin Er's face was already covered in sweat.

He felt the near-collapse tremors emanating from the formation, and glimpsed the terrifying, overwhelming aura of Abbess Jingyue in the air, a power akin to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. His heart sank. He desperately channeled his spiritual energy into the formation's core while simultaneously speaking to Qin Dao:
"Brother! This...this old nun is too fierce! She's at the Nascent Soul stage! Our formation won't hold for long! Even if the clan's reinforcements are fast, they probably won't make it in time! Will we...will we all die here?"

His panic began to spread, causing the Purple Mansion Guest Elders who were helping to maintain the formation to also show despair.

Qin San, the most meticulous and quick-witted, also felt immense pressure, his eyes darting around rapidly. He first shouted at Qin Er:
"Second Brother! What's the panic! To be cowardly before the battle is a cardinal sin in warfare! Calm your mind and do everything you can to maintain the formation!"

Immediately afterwards, he transmitted his voice to Qin Da at an extremely fast pace:

"Brother! A direct confrontation is not a good strategy! This fiend's cultivation far surpasses ours, and his target is our Fu family—he intends to destroy the city! The three of us brothers might be able to hold out for a while with the help of the formation, but it's impossible to hold out for long! The best course of action now is for someone to stay behind to oversee the situation and buy time! Brother, you are the head of the family and most familiar with county affairs, while Second Brother is impatient and prone to making mistakes… It's most suitable for me to stay and control the formation! You should immediately take Second Brother and evacuate through the secret passage to join forces with any reinforcements that may arrive, and then plan a counterattack! As long as we're alive, we'll survive!"

Qin San's thinking was clear: sacrifice himself to protect his two elder brothers and the future counterattack force of the family. He knew that staying behind would be extremely dangerous, but it seemed to be the option with the least loss at the moment.

However, upon hearing this, Qin Da abruptly turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Qin San. There was not a trace of hesitation or retreat in his eyes, only an unwavering resolve:
"Third brother! Stop talking nonsense!"

"Since I, Qin Da, followed the family head, I have received great favors from the family and been entrusted with important responsibilities, entrusting this Huiyang County to my two brothers! For decades, we have taken root here and watched it transform from an ordinary county town into the prosperous land of spiritual valleys and peaceful life that it is today! Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass and every tree here is imbued with the blood and sweat of my brothers! It is no longer just a property of the Fu family, but also the homeland that my three brothers, Qin, have settled down and vowed to protect with our lives!"

His gaze swept over the pale-faced Qin Er, then over the resolute Qin San, and finally fell upon the crumbling yet stubbornly holding-up city defense array outside the window. His tone was resolute:
"Today, the city stands or we fall! I, Qin Da, will never abandon the city and flee! Second brother, third brother, if you still consider me your elder brother, then stand with me and do everything in your power to hold out until the very last moment! The patriarch will never abandon us, and the clan's reinforcements will surely arrive! Even if we die, we will tear off a piece of this old nun's flesh to let her know that there are no cowards among the sons of the Fu family! Huiyang County is not a place where she can run wild!"

Qin Da's words struck Qin Er and Qin San like a thunderclap. The panic on Qin Er's face was gradually replaced by a sense of tragic resolve. He fiercely wiped his face and roared, "Big brother's right! Damn it, let's fight this old hag! Even if we lose our heads, we'll have a big scar!"

Looking at his eldest brother's resolute back, and then at his second brother whose fighting spirit had been rekindled, Qin San knew that this move was extremely risky, but a surge of passion welled up within him. He no longer mentioned the retreat, and nodded emphatically: "Alright! Eldest brother, second brother! The three of us brothers will live and die together today, and face this fake infant nun! Combined attack secret technique, activate!"

In an instant, the three brothers' auras reconnected, and a surge of spiritual energy far exceeding the False Core realm erupted, faintly reaching the Golden Core level! Ignoring the consumption of their energy, they frantically poured their life's cultivation into the city-protecting formation!
The pale yellow light shield, which was originally on the verge of collapse, actually solidified a bit more, and managed to withstand the second wave of attacks that came one after another from Abbess Jingyue!

In the air, Abbess Jingyue let out a soft "Eh," clearly not expecting these three "ants" to possess such resilience and determination. Her eyes flashed with even greater ferocity, and her dark whisk rose again: "A death throes! Let's see how long you can hold out!"

… …

Just as the three Qin brothers were barely holding up the city's protective formation with their combined attack techniques and unwavering determination, struggling against the overwhelming murderous aura of Abbess Jingyue in the sky, a completely different scene unfolded within Huiyang County.

Ordinary people had never witnessed such a terrifying scene of gods fighting. Each strike of the gray duster against the array was like a thunderclap, causing roof tiles to fall. The changing colors of the sky and earth caused by the flickering of the light shield terrified mortals. Cries and screams filled the streets, and panic spread like a plague.

However, unlike some people who were running around like headless flies, more and more people, supporting the old and bringing the young, with piety on their faces as they sought the last glimmer of hope in despair, flocked to the Tianlong Temple, the most popular temple in the city, like streams flowing into the sea!

This temple has stood for nearly a century, and its incense has never been cut off.

The legendary Heavenly Dragon God, who could control clouds and rain and avert disasters, had long been the most steadfast pillar of faith in the hearts of the people of Huiyang County, thanks to countless miraculous feats. Now, facing imminent calamity, they instinctively rushed towards this last refuge.

"May the Heavenly Dragon God protect us! Drive away that demon nun!"

"Please, divine dragon, show your power and save our Huiyang County!"

"Believers are willing to offer all their incense offerings, only asking the dragon god to protect them and ensure their safety!"

Inside and outside the temple, a dense crowd of people knelt, kowtowing repeatedly, their prayers forming a sea of ​​devotion. The intense power of their faith seemed almost tangible, lingering in the air above the temple.

The temple keeper was an elderly man with white hair and beard, but he was still very vigorous. He was the lucky one chosen by the Heavenly Dragon God decades ago. Thanks to divine grace and the incense offerings from believers, he was now a third-rank temple keeper, and his sensitivity to the gods far exceeded that of ordinary people.

At this moment, the old temple keeper stood solemnly before the statue of the god, holding a ritual implement and chanting incantations. He was performing a secret ritual, using himself as a bridge to convey the immense and anxious wishes of the people of the entire city, as well as the current precarious situation, to the Heavenly Dragon God in the darkness.

"By Your Majesty the Supreme God! Evil spirits and heretics have invaded our Huiyang, threatening the city's fall and causing immense suffering to its people! The people weep blood, begging for divine grace! We implore Your Majesty to manifest your divine power, expel evil, uphold righteousness, and protect the peace of this region!"

With each prostration and chant of the old temple keeper, a faint spiritual light resonated with the vast power of faith surrounding him. He could sense that a long-dormant yet boundless will atop the statue was being stirred by this unprecedented crisis and the overwhelming force of faith, and was beginning to slowly awaken…
-
In the air, Abbess Jingyue also noticed the unusual fluctuations in the city's spiritual energy. She scanned the area with her divine sense and, seeing it was mortals gathering to pray, couldn't help but scoff.

"Hmph! You foolish ants, facing certain death, you don't think of escaping, but instead seek help from clay and wooden sculptures! In this world, only one's own strength is fundamental! Once this old nun breaks through this tortoise shell, I will smash your wicked and evil shrine statues as well, and see who can save you then!"

After failing to break through Jingyue's defenses for a long time, the anger in her heart had reached its peak.

She originally thought that with her near-fifth-tier array mastery and her Nascent Soul cultivation, breaking through this fourth-tier array would be a piece of cake. However, she did not expect that the three Qin brothers, with their combined attack secret technique and their determination to live and die with the city, would actually push the array to such a tough level.

"Three ants, dare to stop me?!" she shrieked, her last shred of patience fading. With a flick of her withered hand, a jet-black [Primordial Breaker], covered in spiraling cracks and radiating an ominous aura, appeared in her palm. This was one of her most prized array-breaking treasures, specifically designed to shatter various spiritual energy shields and array barriers; its power was immense, but its consumption was also considerable.

"Break it for the old nun!"

Master Jingyue frantically poured her immense nascent infant magic power into the Breaking Yuan Cone. The cone instantly shone with dark light and emitted a piercing shriek that made one's teeth ache. It transformed into a black lightning bolt that tore through space. Instead of attacking the array's core, it aimed to break through the entire array from a single point, directly piercing the most solid central area of ​​the array's light shield!
"Not good!" Qin Da's pupils shrank sharply as he sensed the destructive power contained in that attack. He roared hoarsely, "Defend with all your might!"

The three brothers, their eyes bloodshot with rage, pushed their combined attack technique to its limit, even sacrificing their life essence in an attempt to stabilize the great formation. The pale yellow light shield shone brightly, its thickness increasing dramatically!
However, all these efforts seemed so pale in the face of the Breaking Yuan Cone, which is specifically designed to counter formations.

"Crack—boom!!!"

A deafening roar, like shattered glass, shook the heavens and earth! The protective array that had guarded Huiyang County for decades finally succumbed to the fatal blow of the Breaking Yuan Cone and exploded! Countless points of light scattered and vanished, and a violent surge of spiritual energy swept down, directly blowing away houses near the city walls, sending dust billowing into the sky!

"puff--!"

The great formation was forcibly broken, and the three Qin brothers, whose energy was connected to it, suffered a severe backlash. They spat out mouthfuls of blood, their faces turned ashen, and their energy was extremely weak. They almost fell from mid-air.

"Hahaha!" Abbess Jingyue was like a madwoman, her gray hair flying wildly, her eyes flashing with bloodlust. "You ants, let's see who can protect you now! Today, this old nun will massacre this city, leaving no one alive!"

Riding her escape light like a deadly demon, she pounced directly on the now-defunct Huiyang County, her target being the three heavily injured "stumbling blocks" and the panicked civilians behind them.

Amidst the smoke and dust, Qin Da wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and forced himself to steady himself. He looked back at the figures fleeing in panic in the city, among whom were many familiar faces—his children and grandchildren, his blood relatives! For the past hundred years, the three brothers had taken root here, branching out and spreading their branches; Huiyang County had long been their home!

"Second brother! Third brother!" Qin Da's voice was hoarse, but it carried an undeniable determination. "The city may fall, but the bloodline of my Qin family and the members of the Fu family cannot perish here!"

Although Qin Er was impatient by nature, his eyes reddened at this moment, and he roared, "Big brother! Fight them! Buy time for the children!"

Qin San gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his meridians, and once again cast the hand seals: "Secret Technique - Burning Blood and Spirit!"

The three brothers, of one mind, simultaneously unleashed a forbidden technique with an even greater cost! Their previously weakened auras were forcibly boosted, briefly rising again to the Golden Core level! They knew that they had no chance of winning against Abbess Jingyue, who was at the Pseudo-Infant Realm. At this moment, they had only one goal—to use their lives to buy even a single more breath of time for the evacuation of their relatives and civilians in the city!

"You old hag! If you want to slaughter the city, you'll have to step over the corpses of my three brothers first!" Qin Da unleashed his natal magic weapon—a heavy mountain-splitting axe—and was the first to meet the charging Master Jingyue. Qin Er and Qin San also activated their flying swords and treasure seals, launching a suicidal charge without fear!

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, you're courting your own destruction!" Abbess Jingyue sneered, sweeping across the three brothers with her gray Buddhist whisk, and an aura of death surged towards them like a tide.

"It is an honor for you ants to become sacrifices to the old nun's magic weapon!" Abbess Jingyue's voice was shrill. What she wanted was not a simple massacre, but the most cruel sacrifice, using the lives of the entire city to vent her resentment and enhance the power of her magic weapon!

The entire Huiyang County was instantly shrouded in blood, and desperate cries of agony rose and fell. The three Qin brothers' eyes were bloodshot with rage, but due to their severe injuries and the backlash from the forbidden technique, they were powerless to stop it and could only watch helplessly as the red light of death descended.

However, at this critical moment, when all life was about to perish—

"Buzz!"

From the direction of the Tianlong Temple, a divine golden light burst forth!

Amidst countless shocked and expectant gazes, the temple keeper's figure soared into the sky, enveloped in golden light! At this moment, his face was solemn and dignified, his eyes devoid of any human emotion, displaying only the cold indifference and majesty of the heavens. The aura emanating from him was unfathomable, completely different from before! It was the manifestation of the Heavenly Dragon God!

"It's the Heavenly Dragon God! The Heavenly Dragon God has come to save us!"

"The dragon has appeared! We're saved!"

The survivors erupted in deafening cheers, kneeling and bowing in worship, their faith reaching its peak at that moment.

The madness on Abbess Jingyue's face froze instantly, replaced by astonishment: "Summoning a god? The Fu family actually worships such an evil god?!" Being a Nascent Soul cultivator, she possessed considerable knowledge and immediately understood. But after the astonishment came overwhelming rage and offended arrogance: "A mere wisp of divine thought possessing a mortal body, manifesting itself, dares to obstruct me? I'll destroy this lewd shrine and evil god along with you!"

She didn't believe that the power derived from a mortal body could be that strong, so she immediately abandoned continuing to activate the sacrificial artifact. The dark Buddhist dust swirled with overwhelming death energy, and her figure transformed into a streak of gray light, rushing straight towards the Heavenly Dragon Temple! She wanted to destroy the foundation of the deity, leaving this "evil god" with nothing to rely on!

"Those who blaspheme against God shall be punished."

The Heavenly Dragon God, possessing the temple keeper, uttered four cold and merciless words. Facing Abbess Jingyue's attack, He neither dodged nor evaded, His body bursting with golden light as He transformed! A soul-shaking dragon roar resounded through the heavens, and from within the golden light, a five-clawed heavenly dragon, its scales fully revealed and its divine might awe-inspiring, emerged from the sky! Its dragon body coiled, its sacred and majestic aura overwhelming, directly suppressing Abbess Jingyue's ferocious aura!

"What?!" Abbess Jingyue was shocked. The power of the heavenly dragon that had taken human form far exceeded her expectations!
But she was already on the verge of disaster and had no choice but to act. With a roar, she pushed her Nascent Soul Realm cultivation to its limit, unleashing her Innate Buddha Dust, Yuan-Breaking Cone, and various insidious spiritual techniques like a torrential downpour upon the golden heavenly dragon!
However, the dragon merely swung its tail, or spewed forth golden dragon breath imbued with purifying power, or unleashed golden light that tore through space with its claws. Master Jingyue's powerful attacks, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, were utterly neutralized and shattered before the divine dragon's might! Even her natal Buddhist whisk, struck by a wisp of dragon breath, instantly dimmed and emitted a mournful cry!
"This...how is this possible?! What level of deity is this?!" Abbess Jingyue grew increasingly alarmed as she fought. She discovered that her all-out attacks couldn't inflict any real damage on the celestial dragon! On the contrary, her magical power was being greatly depleted, and she was in grave danger. The Fu family's power was constantly pushing the boundaries of her understanding, and a chill rose from the depths of her heart.

"I can't fight them! I have to leave!" Her obsession with revenge was finally overwhelmed by her will to survive in the face of such an overwhelming difference in strength. She feinted an attack, then retreated rapidly, intending to use her escape technique to flee the area and find other "easy targets" in the Fu family to deal with.

However, in that very instant when she relaxed her guard and attempted to escape—

"Roar!"

Tianlong let out a deafening dragon roar, seizing this fleeting opportunity, and a huge dragon claw ignored the distance in space and slammed down as if traversing the void!

"Crack!" The protective aura around Abbess Jingyue shattered instantly, and the vicious Yuan-breaking cone was crushed into dust by the dragon claw!
"Pfft—!" Master Jingyue was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out blood. Countless bones in her body were broken, and her life force plummeted to the bottom. She was seriously injured and on the verge of death!

She watched as the dragon's claw, raised once more and imbued with destructive power, descended upon her, the shadow of death completely enveloping her. Decades of hatred, resentment, and bitterness transformed into primal fear in that moment!
"No—!" she screamed in despair.

Just before the devastating attack from the Heavenly Dragon descended, the blood-red light that was Master Jingyue transformed into suddenly veered off course like a stray dog ​​and plunged into the churning mist of the Ghost Mist Forest at an unprecedented speed, disappearing instantly!
The dragon claw slammed down, creating a bottomless crater, but it was a fraction too late.

The Heavenly Dragon God hovered in the air, its golden dragon eyes glancing indifferently in the direction of the Ghostly Mist Forest, without giving chase. Its dragon body slowly dissipated, the golden light receded, and the suffocating pressure in the world dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented peace and reverence.

"Long live the Heavenly Dragon God!"

"Thank you, Divine Dragon, for saving my life!"

"I will believe in this faith for the rest of my life and never forget it!"

The deafening cheers and tearful gratitude intertwined, converging into a surging tide of faith. Visibly, the divine light emanating from the towering Tianlong Temple became even more brilliant and gentle, even drawing upon the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The dense divine power almost condensed into tangible golden clouds, swirling above the temple.

At the temple entrance, the divine light faded, and the temple keeper slowly landed. His face was pale, and his breath was weak, but his eyes were more profound than ever, as if carrying the lingering glow of some divine power. He bowed slightly to the void, then turned to the kneeling crowd, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority:
"The evil spirits have been defeated, thanks to the protection of the divine. From now on, you should always keep good thoughts in your hearts and make sincere offerings, so that the divine grace may remain forever."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed even more devoutly.

Even the three Qin brothers, who were not particularly enthusiastic about the concept of deities before, were now completely convinced:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving our lives! We will never forget this kindness!"

Qin Da's voice was solemn and heartfelt.

A gentle divine power swept over them, and the three of them felt their severe injuries begin to heal at a visible speed. Although they were still far from being fully healed, they were no longer in danger of losing their lives, and even their depleted vital energy was replenished.

These miraculous skills deeply shocked the three brothers, and their awe of the Heavenly Dragon God reached its peak.

The ceremony is over.

Qin Er gazed at the still-ghastly, gray-black, and deathly silent Ghost Mist Forest in the distance, his brow furrowed, and said with deep concern:
"Eldest brother, third brother, letting that old hag escape inside is still a major threat! After all, she's only a fake Nascent Soul cultivator. What if... what if she didn't die inside and recovered from her injuries before coming out to take revenge..."

The thought of Abbess Jingyue's vicious and cruel appearance sent a chill down Qin Er's spine.

Upon hearing this, Qin San shook his head. His temperament was even more composed, and he analyzed:

"Second brother, there's no need to worry too much. You've lived in the county town for a long time, so you should know how strange this Ghost Mist Forest is. In the past hundred years, although its range has not expanded much, the dangers inside have increased day by day. If it weren't for the Heavenly Dragon Temple guarding this place and radiating divine power to resist some of the erosion, our Huiyang County would probably have been swallowed up by that mist long ago."

He paused, then listed examples:
"Do you remember decades ago, when that near-fifth-tier 'Earth-Splitting Wild Bear,' comparable to a pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, accidentally wandered in? The commotion it caused back then was immense, but what was the result? It vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea. And then there was Widow Wang, who also inexplicably entered the Lost Forest back then, and to this day, there's no news of her, neither alive nor dead. As for Abbess Jingyue, she was severely injured and on her last legs when she ventured into this perilous place; nine times out of ten, she didn't come out alive."

Qin Da nodded:

"Third brother is right. However, the most important thing right now is not to guess whether that old nun is alive or dead, but to restore the defenses of our Huiyang County as soon as possible!"

His gaze swept over the ravaged city walls and the shattered array bases, his tone resolute:
"Immediately organize all available manpower to prioritize the repair of the city's protective array! If there aren't enough array masters, request assistance from the main family! At the same time, strengthen city defense patrols to prevent other villains from taking the opportunity to cause trouble."

As he spoke, he took out a specially made communication jade slip and solemnly recorded in detail the key information of the day's events—the attack by Abbess Jingyue, the breaking of the great formation, the manifestation of the Heavenly Dragon God defeating the powerful enemy, and Abbess Jingyue's escape into the Ghost Mist Forest. Then, without hesitation, he activated it. The jade slip transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the Fu family's main city.

(End of this chapter)