Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 54 The Unlucky Sect Leader Dies in an Instant

The three followed the spiritual energy veins of the secret realm deeper and deeper. Before half an incense stick's time had passed, Meng Xihong suddenly stopped and pointed to a dense ancient banyan forest in front of them: "Senior, look, the roots of that forest are intertwined like a net, and the canopy is so dense that it's perfect for hiding people."

The spiritual energy here is exceptionally strong, more than three times denser than the surrounding area, which perfectly conceals the fluctuations in spiritual energy when we lie in ambush.

Yun Songzi squinted and looked around. He saw that the thickest ancient banyan tree in the forest required more than ten people to encircle it. Its gnarled roots rose up to about ten feet high, forming a natural barrier.

A pale blue mist swirled among the branches and leaves, exuding a rich spiritual energy, making it an ideal place for an ambush.

Just as he was about to nod, the unicorn spirit beast he was sitting on suddenly snorted, lightly pawed the ground with its front hooves, and turned its head toward a spirit herb with pink flowers blooming nearby.

The grass leaves are round and plump, and the dewdrops are crystal clear. It is indeed the "Dew-Gathering Grass" that can cure all poisons. It also has the effect of calming the mind and preventing miscarriage, which is especially beneficial to pregnant female cultivators.

"You wretched beast, you're even better at finding treasures than your master!" Yun Songzi chuckled and patted the spirit beast's neck and back. Just as he was about to reach out to pluck some grass, Meng Yanwei suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

“Master, there is a nest of ‘Spirit-Devouring Ants’ next to this grass. Look at the black soil under the grass roots; that’s the ant colony’s secretions. If you pick it directly, the ants will swarm up along with the spiritual energy. They specialize in gnawing on your spiritual energy meridians. Although they won’t hurt you, it will still be quite troublesome.”

Yun Songzi paused, looked down and examined the grass closely. Sure enough, he saw several tiny black ants, no bigger than sesame seeds, crawling along the dewdrops, hidden in the cracks of the grass roots.

Yun Songzi looked down and saw that there were indeed a few black ants the size of sesame seeds crawling at the base of the grass. He couldn't help but laugh loudly: "Good disciple, your eyesight is even sharper than your thrifty father's. I can save you a lot of trouble when I take you out in the future."

Meng Xihong chuckled beside him: "This is all Yunniang's teaching. She said that when you're out and about, if you pay more attention to the plants and insects, you'll avoid a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, he took out a jade box from his storage bag and then took out a small handful of dried "ant-repelling grass," which was a common medicinal herb he had brought from Wufeng County last time, and he had been carrying it with him ever since.

He then crushed the grass and sprinkled it around the dew-collecting grass. Sure enough, the black ants all retreated. Only then did he carefully dig out the grass and stuff it into Meng Yanwei's arms: "Keep it for your mother. She is pregnant now, and this grass is good for nourishing her when boiled into water."

Yun Songzi shook his head and chuckled, "You, the head of the Meng family, are truly concerned about everything, even things that women need to take care of during their pregnancy."

Before he finished speaking, he had already pulled out a yellowed talisman from his sleeve, gathered his righteous energy at his fingertips, and wrote the character "困" (trapped) in the air before casually slapping it onto the trunk of the banyan tree.

The talisman disappeared as soon as it touched the dry ground, and faint golden patterns immediately appeared between the tree roots, spreading rapidly along the root system like a living thing, forming an invisible array base.

Yun Songzi's techniques changed rapidly, and several array flags flew out in sequence, embedding themselves in the four directions of Qian, Kun, Zhen, and Xun, before disappearing. With a flick of his sleeve, the array light flashed and vanished, instantly altering the atmosphere of the entire banyan forest. Although the spiritual energy remained abundant, it subtly exuded a chilling intent.

"This is the 'Thousand-Pound Spirit Binding Array'. Those who enter the array will be trapped in a quagmire, and those with low cultivation levels will be directly suppressed by one or two minor realms."

"It's a pity the formation is so complicated, it can't be used in a pinch, otherwise it would be a unique skill." Yun Songzi stroked his beard and chuckled, giving Meng Yanwei a special look before carefully explaining, "Let's just wait here for the fish to take the bait."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a series of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the woods, accompanied by a sinister chuckle:

"So you were hiding here after all! Let's see where you can run now!"

Three dark figures swiftly entered the forest. The leader, dressed in black robes with a blue face and a skull pendant hanging from his waist, was none other than Liu Xuan, the sect leader of the Yin Sha Sect. His cultivation level, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, was displayed without any attempt to conceal it.

Behind him were two elders at the peak of Qi Refining, and four disciples, each wielding a longsword shrouded in black energy. The people Meng Xihong had released earlier were also among them, clearly indicating that they had come out in full force.

Liu Xuan's gaze swept over the three, noticing their clothes stained with "blood," their breathing disordered, and Meng Yanwei cowering behind Yun Songzi, looking frightened and timid. He couldn't help but sneer.

"My men reported earlier that you were severely injured and exhausted, and I had some doubts... but now I see that you are indeed in such a sorry state!"

His tone suddenly turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "The fact that you were able to step into the secret realm of my Yin Sha Sect only proves one thing."

My disciples outside are all dead. Otherwise, there would have been a way in time to report this.”

"Very well, very well..." Liu Xuan laughed in fury, his killing intent surging around him. "You injured my disciples and slaughtered my sect. If I don't extract your souls and refine your spirits today, I won't be able to vent my hatred!" He flicked his sleeve, producing a black banner three times larger than usual. The banner was covered with vengeful spirits, their roars sending chills down one's spine: "This is the Thousand Soul Banner, ten times stronger than the Hundred Soul Banner. Today, I will let you taste the pain of ten thousand souls devouring your hearts!"

Black energy surged from the banner, and countless wronged souls rushed out like a tide, carrying a bone-chilling wind that aimed directly at the faces of the three people.

Without hesitation, Meng Yanwei stepped forward, her small hand tightly gripping the seemingly inconspicuous little banner that constantly emitted a deep black aura.

It was none other than the Emperor's Banner.

With a wave of the small banner, the black energy and the vengeful spirits collided, actually slowing down the surging attack. However, Meng Yanwei's face immediately turned pale, his blood churned, and he staggered backward. Yun Songzi's eyes flashed with heartache, but he did not immediately make a move.

Meng Xihong stepped in front of his son at the right moment, his righteous energy surging out to form a powerful barrier that barely held back the weakened attack of the Yin spirit.

"Heh, so you're just a minor heretical cultivator!" Liu Xuan sneered. "Since you both belong to the heretical path, why pretend to be so high and mighty?"

Meng Xihong thought to himself, "You're finished."

As expected, Yun Songzi instantly bristled, his protective instincts overflowing: "Bullshit! Who said you're an evil cultivator? Open your dog eyes and see clearly, this is the ancient sacred artifact, the Human Emperor Banner, something even your tattered banner's ancestor would kowtow to. If you dare slander my disciple again, I'll rip your tongue out!"

"Why deceive yourself, fellow Daoist?" Liu Xuan sneered. "The black aura on your banner is three times heavier than that on my Thousand Soul Banner!"

"Phew~ I'm so angry!" Yun Songzi's beard almost stood on end.

"Since you can't understand human language, then this humble Taoist priest has some knowledge of martial arts. You can keep that knowledge until you're in the underworld!"

"sharp!"

With a single shout, his righteous aura suddenly condensed into an incomparably refined golden light sword. Before the sound of it cutting through the air had even faded, the sword light had already flashed past like a startled swan. Before Liu Xuan could even react, a small blood hole appeared between his eyebrows.

The unfortunate sect leader's eyes dimmed instantly, his body swayed, and he fell straight to the ground, his soul departing for the Western Paradise.

The remaining elders and disciples were terrified and turned to flee, but suddenly golden patterns lit up beneath their feet.

The Thousand-Pound Binding Spirit Array has been activated!
The group felt as if they were stuck in quagmire, their movements becoming extremely sluggish. The cultivation levels of the two elders at the peak of Qi Refining plummeted to around the eighth level, and the four disciples fared even worse, reduced to only the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, their hands even trembling as they gripped their swords.

"This formation is specifically designed to trap and pressure the enemy, and while its effectiveness is excellent, it requires advance planning and is difficult to execute on the spot, which is why it is not widely known," Yun Songzi explained, flicking his sleeve.

"If I didn't want to let you practice on these few, I would have slapped them all to death so they wouldn't be in my way."

He turned to the Meng family father and son and waved: "Go on, practice your skills. Xi Hong, you lack offensive techniques, so take this opportunity to hone your fundamentals."

"Yan Wei, controlling the Human Emperor Banner requires soul power. Be careful and act according to your ability." His tone was full of concern.

Meng Xihong thanked him and solemnly entered the formation.

He was well aware of his weaknesses, and after this secret realm exploration, he absolutely had to go to the auction house to find some suitable offensive spells. Previously, he was too short of spirit stones and could only prioritize ensuring his family's needs. But after this secret realm exploration, he should be able to put that on the agenda.

On the other side, Meng Yanwei swallowed the Rejuvenation Pill given to him by Yun Songzi, and felt a cool sensation quickly spread through him, and the soul power he had consumed was restored like a spring.

He gripped the Emperor's Banner tightly, his little face solemn, and followed his father into the formation.

(End of this chapter)