Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 408 The Tragedy of the Zhao Family, "The Thousand Soul Banner" (1.6 words, First Update! Requesting Monthly Tickets!)

"Tier 3, Late Stage"

Zhao Qiyang's expression changed drastically.

The dark green dragon swam to the sky above the Zhao family's protective formation, and then suddenly swung its tail.

The thick dragon tail, accompanied by a deafening roar that tore through the air, lashed fiercely at the clan's protective formation.

"Snap—"

The Zhao family's protective formation shattered instantly, and the light barrier exploded like glass, turning into countless points of light that dissipated.

Immediately, countless demonic beasts rushed into the Zhao family's territory.

"No!"

Zhao Qiyang roared fiercely.

After breaking through the formation, the dark green dragon did not stop. It opened its huge mouth, and a terrifying suction force came out from its mouth.

"what--"

Dozens of Zhao family members were powerless to resist and were swept up by the suction force, screaming as they flew toward the giant mouth of the dragon.

Whether they are Qi Refining cultivators or martial artists, they are as powerless as ants in the face of this power.

The dragon closed its mouth and chewed, blood seeping from between its teeth and dripping down its whiskers.

"brute!"

Zhao Qiyang's eyes were bloodshot. He abandoned the Gale Eagle and turned to charge at the dark green dragon.

The cyan flying sword transformed into a streak of light, piercing straight into the dragon's eyes.

Upon seeing this, the dragon's eyes flashed with disdain, and it casually raised its front paw and slapped the ground.

"boom!"

Zhao Qiyang was struck as if by a mountain. His protective aura shattered instantly, his chest caved in, and he crashed into the mountain below like a meteorite, creating a deep crater.

"Ancestor!" cried the surviving members of the Zhao family.

In the deep pit, Zhao Qiyang struggled to get up, his internal organs seemingly displaced.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but still managed to fly up.

"Disciples of the Zhao family, heed my command!" Zhao Qiyang's voice was hoarse, yet it echoed across the battlefield. "The tide has turned, escape! Every one of you who can escape is an escape!"

At the same time, he secretly transmitted his voice to the Black Cloud Leopard: "Black Cloud, the main branch of my Zhao family is doomed, you should leave quickly as well."

"We're counting on you for the Dongxi branch!"

The Black Cloud Leopard paused, giving Zhao Qiyang a deep look, its eyes flashing with complex emotions.

It let out a long roar, transformed into a black cloud, and soared into the sky, speeding away into the distance.

The Crimson Flame Lizard roared in pursuit, but the Black Cloud Spirit Leopard was extremely fast, rushing into the mountains, and also possessing the talent to conceal its aura.

The Crimson Flame Lizard quickly lost track of it and had no choice but to return dejectedly.

On the battlefield, Zhao Qiyang watched as the demonic beasts surged into the clan's territory like a tidal wave.

Watching the Zhao family members being torn apart and devoured one by one, and seeing the children and women fleeing in terror with nowhere to hide, two lines of bloody tears streamed down his face.

He suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh that was both shrill and tragic.

"So this is the Great Calamity of a Thousand Years!"

Only then did he truly understand why the Xu family, despite its immense power, remained so cautious.

The force that the Zhao family is facing is probably less than one percent of the power of the great calamity.

Even so, the entire Zhao family was brought down.

"Fortunately, my Zhao family chose the Xu family. I hope they can truly ensure the survival of my Zhao family line!"

Mind this.

His aura began to surge wildly.

Early stage of Golden Core, Middle stage of Golden Core, Late stage of Golden Core!

Zhao Qiyang's aura finally stabilized at the late Golden Core stage. Although he was not as strong as the Dark Green Flood Dragon, he was already capable of fighting.

"Beast, die!"

Zhao Qiyang transformed into a streak of light and charged towards the dark green dragon once again.

With his full power, the cyan flying sword was finally able to cut scratches on the dragon's scales, but it still couldn't truly break through its defenses.

Monsters are superior because of their physical bodies and powerful because of their bloodlines.

Few cultivators of the same level can rival him without powerful magic weapons.

Zhao Qiyang felt bitter. He had just formed his core, and his newly created natal magic weapon was weak and could hardly harm the dragon.

Half a cup of tea's time passes in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Qiyang could feel that his lifespan was about to run out and his power was beginning to decline.

below.

More than half of the Zhao family members have been slaughtered.

Blood stained the entire tribe's territory, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere.

The cries, screams, and roars of monsters mingled together, creating a scene resembling a living hell.

"That's enough, that's enough."

Zhao Qiyang smiled bitterly, suddenly withdrew all his defenses, and let the dragon's claw pierce through his chest.

The dark green dragon was taken aback, then warily tried to pull its claws back.

But it was too late.

"You beast, let us perish together!"

Zhao Qiyang's eyes widened as he clung tightly to the dragon's forelimbs, his golden core spinning wildly within him before exploding with a deafening roar.

"Boom—"

A massive mushroom cloud shot into the sky, and a violent energy shockwave swept outwards, leveling the nearby mountains.

Dozens of second-tier demonic beasts that didn't have time to escape were instantly vaporized by this force.

Even the Crimson Flame Lizard and the Rending Wind Eagle were thrown away and seriously injured.

At the center of the self-destruction, the dark green dragon roared mournfully.

Large pieces of its scales peeled off, revealing the bloody, mangled body of the dragon beneath.

One of its front claws was almost blown off, with only a little skin and flesh connecting it. A hideous wound was blown open on the dragon's belly, and its internal organs were vaguely visible.

But it survived.

The dark green dragon struggled to steady itself, its vertical pupils blazing with boundless fury.

It looked down at its horrific injuries, then down at the terrified survivors of the Zhao family below, and let out a deafening roar.

Kill! Leave no one alive!

The severely injured dragon vented all its anger on the remaining members of the Zhao family.

After slaughtering them all, it devoured a great deal of the Zhao family's accumulated rare and precious treasures and stayed there to recuperate.

The remaining monsters charged towards the imperial city.

----------

Northwest of Daliang, in Pingwu County.

This once bustling border town, teeming with merchants and travelers, has now been transformed into a ghost town.

The sky was shrouded in thick, dark clouds, obscuring the sun and moon; only a deathly gray aura permeated the entire city.

Dark clouds hung low, as if they might collapse at any moment the towering watchtowers and temples in the city.

The wind was cold, carrying a biting chill, and it made a wailing sound as it blew through the streets and alleys, as if a million wronged souls were crying at the same time.

Throughout the city, countless semi-transparent or solidified ghosts roamed the streets and alleys.

Most of them were shrouded in gray, gloomy energy and had no specific shape.

A middle-aged man was trembling behind the counter of his rice shop.

He peeked through the crack in the door and saw an old man running slowly on the street being pierced through by three ghosts at the same time.

The old man didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body shriveled up at a visible speed, as if all his energy had been drained away, leaving only skin and bones.

The man covered his mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound.

But ghosts are terrifyingly sensitive to life.

In the blink of an eye, a cloud of gray smoke sneaked in through the crack in the door.

After a scream, there was silence inside the rice shop.

Second-tier ghosts can already solidify into physical form.

Wherever they go, doors and windows shatter, walls collapse, and they can physically attack living beings.

Many martial artists and cultivators had their bodies torn apart by it.

It also includes some special ghosts, such as the headless ghost that specializes in cutting off people's heads, and the painted skin ghost that likes to peel off people's faces.

These kinds of ghosts all require special methods to be born.

Most of the ghosts and spirits in Xu Chuan's hands are relatively ordinary, without any natural defects or flaws.

"evil creature!"

There are only three or four Foundation Establishment cultivators in the entire county town, and not a single Yuanwu realm cultivator.

They had almost no power to fight back against this army of ghosts.

The bustling downtown area of ​​the county town.

A giant ghostly figure, three zhang tall, was clad in tattered ancient general's armor, wearing a towering crown, with a gaunt, skeletal face and ghostly green flames burning in its eye sockets.

It held a large, ghost-headed sword in its hand, the blade of which was wrapped with countless wailing, resentful spirits.

It opened its mouth and let out a terrifying shriek.

The sound waves vibrated in the soul, spreading rapidly.

Within a radius of a hundred feet, everyone simultaneously clutched their heads and screamed in agony.

A short while later.

Then, one after another, illusory souls were forcibly pulled out of their bodies and flew into the Ghost King's mouth like rivers flowing into the sea.

Even Qi Refining cultivators and Transcendent Realm martial artists cannot stop it.

A large number of souls were devoured by the Ghost King.

But it was still not satisfied and devoured again and again.

It is a Ghost King in the late stage of the third tier, only one step away from the peak of the third tier.

If there were a Golden Core cultivator for it to devour at this moment, even just one, it might be able to advance to the peak of the third tier.

If not, then we can only win by sheer quantity.

If you swallow more, there is hope of overcoming the bottleneck.

And high above the city.

Standing there was an old man in black robes, holding a huge ghost banner that was about ten feet long. The banner was engraved with a scene of a hundred ghosts walking at night.

The old man was one of the Golden Core demonic cultivators in the Blackwater Domain, and his name was Rong Yang.

The banner in its hand is the "Hundred Ghosts Banner," a standard magical artifact of the Heavenly Ghost Sect.

Most of the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators of the Heavenly Ghost Sect wield the "Ten Ghost Banners".

The one in the Nascent Soul stage holds the "Thousand Soul Banner".

The Heavenly Ghost Sect also possesses a "Ten Thousand Souls Banner," whose power is even more terrifying than ordinary spiritual treasures.

"After I devour this city, my main soul should be able to advance to the peak of the third tier, and I might even be able to cultivate another third-tier ghost."

It's a pity that the quality of these people's souls is too low.

Rong Yang muttered to himself.

He had a sinister face, deep-set eyes, and thin lips, and looked to be about sixty years old.

The population of Tianwu County exceeds millions.

He had already destroyed three similar prefectures.

There are also several county towns and numerous villages.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye.

I don't know when.

The city of Tianwu was eerily silent, as if it were a ghost town.

Every now and then, a cold wind would sweep by, making a whistling sound.

"Still a little short."

Rong Yang sized up the third-tier ghost king in front of him, his brows furrowed slightly, and his withered fingers gently stroked the banner pole.

"Forget it, let's go look around elsewhere. Anyway, there's no shortage of living beings here."

He gently shook the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" and muttered something under his breath.

Immediately, all the ghosts scattered throughout the city rushed towards this place and then plunged into the "Hundred Ghost Banner".

It had just left the county town by several dozen miles.

Suddenly, two waves of spiritual energy came from behind him and were rapidly approaching him.

Rong Yang immediately stopped and turned around to look.

moment.

Then two streaks of light, one blue and one yellow, arrived and stopped a hundred feet in front of him.

The light subsided, revealing Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxuan.

"Who are you two fellow Daoists? Could it be that you've come for me, Rong?"

As he spoke, he gripped the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" in his hand.

Xu Chuan glanced at it and immediately felt that its "Hundred Ghosts Banner" was very exquisite, and it seemed to have the effect of drawing on the power of the ghosts within.

As for his "Soul Gathering Banner," it was merely a magical artifact used to nurture and nourish yin spirits and ghosts.

If he had this "Hundred Ghosts Banner", with the number of ghosts in his "Soul Gathering Banner", he could definitely unleash power comparable to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"It seems this person is most likely from a prestigious family, perhaps a Golden Core elder of the Heavenly Ghost Sect?"

Xu Chuan thought for a moment, then smiled faintly and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you from the Heavenly Ghost Sect?"

Rong Yang was not surprised, after all, the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" was the signature magic weapon of the Heavenly Ghost Sect elders, and almost everyone had one.

"I am Rong Yang from the Heavenly Ghost Sect. May I ask your names?"

Although they were talking, Rong Yang's guard did not lessen in the slightest.

"Fellow Daoist Rong's soul banner is quite impressive. How about I borrow it to take a look?"

Rong Yang's pupils shrank. "You two are indeed courting death. You dare to play tricks on me, mere early and mid-stage Golden Core cultivators!"

He raised the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" in his hand.

The Soul Banner suddenly erupted with towering black energy, condensing into a torrent of ghostly energy tens of feet in diameter.

Its power is astonishing, absolutely comparable to the full-force attack of a Golden Core cultivator who has reached the peak of his cultivation and mastered supernatural abilities.

Xu Chuan's expression remained unchanged upon seeing this, and he lightly patted the corpse bag.

A streak of blood shot out.

It was a Xuan Yin Blood Corpse that was close to the fourth level.

Its body erupted with bloodthirst, condensing into a giant blood claw that directly blocked the torrent of ghostly energy.

"A blood corpse that is halfway to the fourth rank!"

Rong Yang cried out in alarm as he saw the torrent of ghostly energy being firmly held back by the giant claw formed from pure blood and evil, unable to advance even an inch further.

The ghostly energy and the bloodlust collided violently in mid-air, producing a sickening "hissing" sound.

"Who exactly are you, sir, to possess such a powerful corpse puppet!"

Rong Yang's expression shifted, his voice revealing a hint of undisguised surprise and doubt, "To possess such a corpse puppet, one must not be an unknown nobody."

"You wouldn't happen to be from the Corpse Yin Sect, would you?"

Xu Chuan stood in mid-air, his blue robes fluttering in the wind. Hearing this, he simply smiled faintly and did not reply.

He lightly patted the corpse bag at his waist with his right hand.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Four equally terrifying beams of blood-red light shot into the sky, landing around Rong Yang and forming an encirclement with the previous Xuan Yin Blood Corpse.

The five blood corpses were linked together, and their bloodthirsty aura sealed off all of Rong Yang's escape routes like a cage.

And each one was at the peak of the third tier.

Although not as good as the first one, they are still comparable to a cultivator who has reached the Golden Core stage.

Rong Yang's expression changed completely.

Five peak-stage Tier 3 Blood Corpses!
Even the sect leader of the Corpse Yin Sect might not be able to produce something like this!

But Xu Chuan's methods were not yet over.

With a flick of his sleeve, several battle flags shot out with a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Upon seeing this, Rong Yang realized that the other party was about to set up a formation, and immediately unleashed his full power.

They used all their supernatural powers and magical treasures, trying to break through the encirclement of the blood corpses and escape before the great formation could cover them.

However, he still underestimated the power of the five peak third-tier blood corpses.

Not only did he fail to escape, but he also suffered some injuries during their attack.

Of course, if he hadn't had a mid-grade defensive magic weapon, the injuries would probably have been much more severe.

A moment of effort.

The Cloud Illusion Array has been successfully set up.

The area within a radius of several miles was completely shrouded in clouds and mist, as if one had entered another world.

"Fellow Daoist, don't push people too far!"

Rong Yang glared at him, but then a nasty smile spread across his face.

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for us to fight to the death. Since you’ve cultivated such a blood corpse, you must also hope that the blood corpse in your hands can go further.”

If one could possess a fourth-tier blood corpse, it would be like ascending to the heavens in one step.

As it happened, Rong knew some information.

Old Demon Wu from the Blood Demon Cave also entered this area. He also had several carefully cultivated blood corpses, two of which had reached the peak of the third rank!

Furthermore, Rong had heard that the Blood Demon Cave possessed a secret method that allowed one to cultivate a fourth-tier blood corpse using multiple blood corpses.

If you can seize its blood corpse and steal its secret techniques, you will surely be able to cultivate a true fourth-order corpse king!
"If you are willing to spare my life, I can help you find Old Demon Wu and kill him."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan revealed a strange smile.

Is this what you mean?

Rong Yang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Xu Mingxuan, on the other hand, chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself, "What an idiot!"

Xu Chuan patted the Yin Corpse Bag again, and two more blood corpses immediately appeared.

But it seems different from the previous five.

These two blood corpses were filled with more demonic energy.

"The Blood Corpse of the Fiend!" Rong Yang's pupils constricted sharply, his voice changing drastically. "This is Old Demon Wu's... You've already killed him?!"

Decades ago, Rong Yang fought with Wu Laomo over a Yin Sha land.

Those few demonic blood corpses left a very deep impression on him.

He looked up again at the array space shrouded in clouds and mist, where the outside world was not visible.

"It seems you are not going to let me go, fellow Daoist."

Rong Yang knew there was no room for maneuver, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent: "I, Rong Yang, have roamed the world for hundreds of years. If you want to kill me, these blood corpses alone are not enough!"

He immediately made hand seals and released all the ghosts from the "Hundred Ghosts Banner".

Then a mid-grade bone staff magic weapon flew out of the storage bag.

The late-stage third-tier Ghost King, leading an army of ghosts, entangled one Xuan Yin Blood Corpse and two Sha Mo Blood Corpses.

Rong Yang himself activated his magical artifacts and unleashed his supernatural powers, engaging in battle with the three Xuan Yin Blood Corpses.

In a short time.

Six blood-soaked corpses surrounded him, yet they were unable to subdue him.

This shows that their strength is indeed remarkable.

But there were seven blood corpses present!

The remaining one was the strongest blood corpse, almost at the fourth rank.

It is observing.

The next instant, it appeared behind Rong Yang.

A blood-red, sharp claw silently slashed towards his back!

Rong Yang's hair stood on end. He blocked the attack with the "Hundred Ghosts Banner," but he was still knocked back.

In that moment of distraction, the other three blood corpses launched their attack!

He immediately unleashed his full power, forcing them back once again.

But the strongest blood corpse condensed its blood claws and slammed down.

Rong Yang blocked it with his white bone staff.

While the stalemate continued, other blood zombies attacked from three directions.

Such cooperation gave Rong Yang no chance to catch his breath.

"You forced me to this!"

A fierce glint flashed in Rong Yang's eyes, and he suddenly slapped his chest.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of his heart's essence blood, which transformed into a strange blood talisman in the air, and he swallowed it in one gulp!
Then Rong Yang's aura surged dramatically, instantly reaching the peak of the Golden Core stage, and it was still improving.

"Blood Burning Secret Technique?" Xu Chuan said calmly.

"Get out of my way!"

Rong Yang roared, sweeping across with the "Hundred Ghosts Banner," and then manipulating the White Bone Staff to strike the strongest blood corpse.

The five blood-soaked corpses were all knocked back more than a hundred feet!
He seized this fleeting opportunity and pounced on Xu Chuan like a ghost!

Once the controller is killed, these corpse puppets will fall into disarray!

"You mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, you're going to die!"

Xu Chuan remained calm and composed.

Judging from its explosive power, it is comparable to a cultivator who has reached the Golden Core stage and mastered supernatural powers.

However, Xu Chuan had already surpassed it at the early stage of the Golden Core realm.

Now that he has entered the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, although he cannot undergo a complete transformation, his foundation has become even more profound.

Xu Chuan had no intention of revealing his strength.

If Rong Yang were to reveal his attack methods before his death, the characteristics would be too obvious.

As for the methods used by the Blood Corpse, even if others knew about them, they would only assume that it was the work of a certain demonic cultivator.

Rong Yang's use of a blood-burning technique wouldn't last long.

These blood corpses are enough to kill him.

Facing Rong Yang's attack.

Xu Chuan flicked his sleeve, and a large black seal, carrying the force of a mountain, crashed down fiercely.

"A top-grade magic weapon!"

Rong Yang's expression changed drastically. He gripped the white bone staff, activated it with all his might, and met the giant seal head-on.

"boom!"

Rong Yang was sent flying by the seal that had unleashed its full power.

The four blood corpses that had been knocked back earlier surrounded them again.

Xu Chuan would occasionally hit him with the "Chongxuan Seal," which rendered him powerless to break through the encirclement of blood corpses and reach him.

"He is definitely not at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm!"

Rong Yang looked horrified. "Anyone who can unleash the full power of a top-grade magic weapon must be at least a Golden Core cultivator at the peak of their cultivation!"

"How could there be such a treacherous person in the world? No wonder even Old Demon Wu fell at his hands."

Over time, the effects of the secret technique began to fade.

His aura plummeted like the receding tide, even weaker than before he used the secret technique, and his face turned ashen.

"It seems I can't escape death today, but I can't let them get away with this!"

Rong Yang secretly planned to find an opportunity to rush in front of Xu Chuan and detonate himself to severely injure him.

Given his strength, if he were close enough to self-destruct, even a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages would suffer significant injuries.

However, the idea had barely formed in his mind.

A faint light flickered between Xu Chuan's brows.

He felt the time was right and immediately used his divine sense technique.

"what!"

Rong Yang clutched his head and howled in agony, blood gushing from all seven orifices.

Although he didn't faint, for that brief moment he was almost unable to control his magical artifact.

And at that very moment.

The three Xuan Yin Blood Corpses worked together to break through the defensive light barrier of his magic weapon.

"puff!"

A blood-red, monstrous claw pierced through his dantian.

It was the strongest Xuan Yin Blood Corpse.

Rong Yang froze, looking down at his abdomen, where the blood claw was digging out his golden core.

"No"

His lips moved, and the light in his eyes dimmed rapidly.

Xu Chuan appeared in front of him, and with a wave of his hand, the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" flew into his hand.

Then, with one hand forming a hand seal, he extracted the soul from the body.

The Xuan Yin Blood Corpse presented the golden pill with both hands.

Although he was greedy, he didn't dare disobey Xu Chuan's orders.

However, after Rong Yang's death, the ghosts he controlled, like wild horses, immediately began to riot.

A black light flashed in Xu Chuan's hand, and a long banner resembling a "Hundred Ghosts Banner" appeared.

In the long banner.

A black and red figure rushed out.

It was none other than the Blood Demon King, who was halfway to the fourth rank.

"Roar!"

The Blood Demon King roared to the sky, his roar containing a kingly majesty and endless ferocity.

Hearing the sound, the riotous ghosts trembled and dared not move.

Only one figure was an exception.

It was that late-stage third-tier ghost king, its eyes flickering with eerie green flames as it stared intently at the Blood Fiend Ghost King.

“It devoured its divine soul essence.”

Upon seeing this, Xu Chuan said calmly.

Upon receiving the order, the Blood Demon King's scarlet eyes flashed with cruelty as he transformed into a blood-red shadow and charged forward.

The two demon kings instantly engaged in a fierce battle.

However, the battle ended very quickly.

The late-stage third-tier Ghost King had already suffered a loss of strength in the previous battle, so how could he be a match for the Blood Fiend Ghost King in his prime?
In just three to five rounds.

It was torn apart by the Blood Demon King, who swallowed its soul essence in one gulp.

Having devoured a late-stage third-tier ghost, the Blood Fiend Ghost King's aura increased further.

Below, all the ghosts bowed their heads.

Then, Xu Chuan absorbed all the ghost army left behind by Rong Yang into the "Soul Gathering Banner" and set restrictions on those ghosts.

Although the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" is more precious than the "Soul Gathering Banner," Xu Chuan still needs to refine it before he can use it.

There's no rush now.

Next came sorting through Rong Yang's belongings.

They acquired his main cultivation technique, some ghost cultivation manuals, tens of thousands of spirit stones, and four magic treasures, all of which were of medium grade.

In addition, there are secret techniques for controlling ghosts, a large number of souls, and the methods for making the "Hundred Ghosts Banner" and the "Thousand Souls Banner".

Although this "Thousand Soul Banner" is only a high-grade magic weapon, the more ghosts it contains, the stronger its power becomes, and the strongest can even approach the level of a spiritual treasure.

"Father, how was the harvest?" Xu Mingxuan leaned forward and asked curiously.

"It's alright, but the biggest gain is his army of ghosts, which all benefited your father."

"Congratulations, Father. The cultivation of a fourth-tier Ghost King is just around the corner."

"It's too early to talk about this. Cultivating a fourth-tier Ghost King is much more difficult than cultivating a fourth-tier Corpse King. For now, we can only take it one step at a time."

"So, should we go hunt down other demonic cultivators from the Blackwater Domain, or go to the Great Liang Imperial City?"

Xu Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Hunting everywhere is not worthwhile, and some Golden Core demon cultivators should be heading to the Great Liang Imperial City."

Many third-tier demonic beasts are the same.

“Father is right,” Xu Mingxuan said. “I think there are also considerable opportunities there.”

Xu Chuan remained silent, recalling what Lei Yunchao had said about the Cao family's heritage—a dark lamp.

This lamp is suspected to be a damaged magical artifact.

Because while a top-tier magic weapon can easily annihilate a late-stage third-tier demonic beast, a damaged top-tier magic weapon cannot.

"Surrounded by malevolent energy, it must be a demonic artifact, perhaps suitable for Devon."

A short while later.

Xu Chuan withdrew the Cloud Illusion Array and headed towards the capital of the Great Liang Dynasty.

In just one hour, he traversed most of Daliang and arrived near the imperial city.

Suddenly, Xu Chuan's escape light stopped.

"Father, what's wrong?"

"Let's go check on the Zhao family first."

The two immediately changed course.

When I arrived here, all I saw was devastation.

Ruins and broken walls are everywhere.

The original three-zhang-high bluestone wall had mostly collapsed, with broken weapons and charred cloth mixed among the rubble.

Only the foundations and a few lonely beams and pillars remain of the palaces.

A tattered Zhao family flag still hangs on one of the beams, fluttering helplessly in the wind, its surface soaked with dark brown bloodstains.

Blood is everywhere.

Large patches of dark red were splashed on the wall.

Bloodstains were everywhere—among the grass and trees, on the steps, and on the broken beams.

Numerous potholes are scattered everywhere.

There is a huge pit several meters deep, with the soil around its edges scorched black.

There are ravines that stretch for tens of meters, as if plowed by some giant creature, and countless claw marks and tooth marks are deeply imprinted on the bluestone ground and the remaining walls.

The air was still thick with the stench of blood and burning.

Xu Mingxuan's gaze swept over the desolate ruins, and he sighed softly, "I didn't expect the Zhao family to be wiped out so quickly."

"If we can set up a third-order grand formation, we might be able to hold out for some time."

"Judging from these marks, it must have been a demonic beast that destroyed the Zhao family."

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "The number of demons will not be small. This should only be a small part. Some of them will flood into Daliang, and some should go to the Immortal Martial Alliance or the Great Wei."

The Zhao family can now be considered a Golden Core family. If they can be given several more decades to develop, they will also have the third-tier demon beast, the Black Cloud Spirit Leopard.

They might be able to rival the Cao family, the Sima family, and the Liu family.

"Fortunately, my Xu family's grand formation is a high-grade third-order formation, and we also have several Golden Core cultivators, including my eldest brother, fifth brother, and Deling, to oversee it."

Even if surrounded by a dozen Golden Core or Tier 3 demonic beasts, they would not be afraid.

Xu Mingxuan thought to himself.

If he were to return home after this trip and find Dongxi transformed into the Zhao family's territory, he would likely go mad and become possessed by evil spirits.

A moment of silence.

Xu Mingxuan sighed again: "It's a pity they didn't hold out for much longer. If they had held on for another half a day, perhaps..."

"It's not too late."

Xu Chuan suddenly spoke.

He stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, his blue robes swaying gently in the breeze, his gaze calmly sweeping over the ruins below.

"What does Father mean by this?" Xu Mingxuan looked at Xu Chuan in confusion.

Xu Chuan said calmly, "Come out, you beast."

The sound was not loud, but it contained a strange fluctuation, seeping into the ground like ripples.

next moment--

"Boom!!"

The ground suddenly cracked open, and soil and rocks shot into the sky!

A massive, dark green figure burst from the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

It was that late-stage third-tier dark green dragon that was the culprit who destroyed the Zhao family!
Just at this moment.

This once majestic dragon is clearly in extremely poor condition.

Its body showed many bloody and mangled wounds, one of its front paws was twisted and deformed, and there were cracks in the dragon horns on its head.

Even so, the aura of this dragon was still quite astonishing to Xu Mingxuan, who had just entered the Golden Core stage.

The dark green dragon hovered in mid-air, its vertical pupils coldly staring at Xu Chuan and the other two, a hint of greed flashing in its eyes.

In its perception, there was only one human cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core realm and another in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm.

If it could devour them, its flesh and blood, along with its golden core, should be able to heal much of its injuries.

"Roar--"

The dragon let out a deafening roar.

The sound waves spread as if they were a physical entity, causing the remaining walls around them to collapse again.

Without further hesitation, it opened its massive mouth, revealing its sharp white teeth, and transformed into a dark green afterimage as it pounced straight at Xu Chuan!
"A late-stage, third-tier dragon?"

Xu Mingxuan was slightly shocked, but not flustered. "No wonder the Zhao family was destroyed."

However, the Zhao family is truly remarkable for injuring him to such an extent.

"The potential that people can unleash in dire circumstances is naturally extraordinary."

Xu Chuan said calmly, without even moving a step when faced with the rushing dragon.

He simply raised his hands, his ten fingers blooming like lotus flowers, forming an ancient and profound hand seal.

"Death Intent, Explode."

As the three words were uttered softly, a wave of death surged toward the dragon.

The dragon's charging figure suddenly froze!
The injuries that had been forcibly suppressed by its powerful demonic energy suddenly erupted under the influence of this deathly intent!
"Waaah!"

The dragon let out a painful howl, its massive body tumbling violently in the air, with blood, flesh, and scales falling with each roll.

Greed had long been replaced by fear in its eyes.

Xu Chuan's attack had only just begun.

With a flick of his sleeve, the "Chongxuan Seal" flew out.

The pale ink-colored light enveloped an area of ​​a hundred feet in radius as if it were a tangible substance, and the space itself seemed to freeze.

The dragon felt as if a thousand-foot mountain was pressing down on it.

Every scale seemed to groan, and the bones made a cracking sound as they succumbed to the unbearable weight.

It struggled desperately, but it was like being stuck in a quagmire, its movements becoming more than ten times slower!
"town."

Xu Chuan flicked his finger.

The Chongxuan Seal transformed into a streak of dark light, striking precisely the deepest wound on the dragon's back!
"boom!"

With a chilling cracking sound, the keel on the dragon's back snapped!
Its massive body crashed to the ground like a meteorite, carving a deep trench tens of meters long into the already ruined ruins.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust.

The dragon collapsed at the bottom of the ditch.

Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs kept gushing from his mouth, and his breath was extremely weak.

Regardless of whether they are third-tier demonic beasts or Golden Core demonic cultivators from the Blackwater Domain, they are all calamities for the beings in the imprisoned land.

But Xu Chuan was also their calamity!

(End of this chapter)