To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

Chapter 339 Bloodstained Wedding Banquet

The young cultivator seemed to have made up his mind and blurted out all the information about the Wang family.

Gu Fan listened quietly, nodding slightly from time to time.

As he expected, this Wang family was indeed Wang Jingshuo's family.

According to the young man, the Wang family's marriage had become a topic of conversation in the State of Chen.

In order to continue their bloodline, cultivation families recruit sons-in-law or marry female cultivators from other clans, but there is always a limit to the number of such marriages.

After all, cultivation resources are limited, and even within families, there are often disputes over them.

In the state of Chen, only the Wang family held a large-scale wedding ceremony for their clan members every ten years or so.

At first, many low-level female cultivators were overjoyed, thinking they could join a Golden Core family. However, they soon discovered that the Wang family only wanted them to have children.

Those female cultivators who married into the Wang family, after several years, not only did their cultivation not increase, but the few who were able to return home to visit their families were all severely damaged and their magical power was weak, which was heartbreaking.

Over time, marrying into the Wang family became a nightmare for female cultivators.

Various cultivation families refused the marriage proposal, which led to strong suppression from the Wang family.

Those families at the Foundation Establishment stage and even the Qi Refining stage were powerless against the Wang family and could only obediently offer up their female cultivators.

"You just said that the Wang family patriarch will also be present today?" Gu Fan suddenly asked.

The young man paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's true."

"Every time the Wang family holds a wedding, the Wang family patriarch will appear to offer encouragement and personally examine the spiritual roots of the children in the clan. If a child has spiritual roots, both of the child's parents will receive a reward."

"I heard that this move was to show the Wang family's emphasis on the younger generation, but it was also to encourage newly initiated female cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Gu Fan was filled with doubts.

A Golden Core cultivator is of such high status that it would be too beneath him to personally inquire about the aptitude of a mere child.

"If what you say is true, the Wang family has multiplied for hundreds of years, and their population must be countless. Why is the manor not teeming with people?" Gu Fan continued to ask.

Upon hearing this, the young man's expression turned somewhat strange. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before explaining, "This matter is also considered a strange tale in the State of Chen."

"The Wang family has multiplied for many years. If they do not have spiritual roots, they will be scattered among the mortals. Only after their spiritual roots are detected can they return to the main family."

"But for some reason, the Wang family members have suffered many misfortunes. Many died young or were attacked while traveling, and the causes of death varied. Even with a large number of marriages and children, the clan's population has never been able to prosper."

Gu Fan frowned slightly and secretly transmitted his voice: "Senior, have you noticed anything unusual?"

"You're making a fuss over nothing," Chang Yuan replied hoarsely. "In this situation, either there really is a curse in the Wang family's bloodline, forcing them to keep having children in order to continue the bloodline, or... the Wang family members have been practicing unorthodox and evil methods."

"Unorthodox and heretical practices?"

"Not bad." Chang Yuan's voice carried a hint of apprehension: "The Wanyuan lineage contains many forbidden methods, and the way of incense offering at Jianglong Temple is actually quite orthodox in comparison."

"Some use worldly relationships to attain enlightenment, some plunder the nation's fortune to cultivate themselves, and some even use bloodlines as a medium to cultivate evil practices with their descendants."

Gu Fan felt a chill run down his spine, and suddenly understood.

The actions of the Wang family clearly fall into the last category.

As the sun sets, the crowds outside the Wang Family Manor gradually thin out.

Gu Fan stopped in mid-air and quietly activated his Myriad Manifestations Dharma Eye.

A pale blue light curtain, resembling an inverted bowl, enveloped the entire manor, with streaks of brilliance flowing through it from time to time.

"The Wang family does have some foundation; they actually have a third-tier formation."

Gu Fan frowned and pondered for a moment, then took out a set of array flags and began to move around the perimeter of the Wang family manor.

With his current level of array formation cultivation, breaking this array would not be difficult for him, but there were still many guests in the manor, most of whom were innocent people like the elderly man in fine clothes and the young man, and he did not want to involve them for no reason.

The formation set up this time is a trapping formation, only to cover up the fluctuations during the battle, so as not to attract more cultivators, and at the same time to prevent anyone from escaping.

As night fell, the formation was completed.

Gu Fan slowly walked to the Wang family's protective formation, found a weak point, and threw several formation flags into the air, instantly creating a circular hole in the void.

Gu Fan stepped into the void, raised his hand to put away the array flag, and the void instantly disappeared.

He then lay low, disguised himself as an ordinary guest, and blended into the wedding banquet crowd.

The main banquet was held in the central square of the Wang family estate, surrounded by pavilions, with a red carpet laid out and delicacies and fine wines neatly arranged on the tables.

Guests from all directions raised their glasses in toasts and laughter, accompanied by melodious music, creating a scene of a grand gathering of distinguished families.

Dozens of female cultivators in red sat on either side, their expressions numb and indifferent, showing no joy whatsoever that should be present at a wedding.

"Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. Have I never seen you before?"

As soon as Gu Fan sat down, a pale-faced, plump cultivator at the same table asked with a smile.

"I am a leisurely cultivator who happened to hear about the Wang family's wedding and came here to witness the ceremony," Gu Fan replied calmly.

The fat monk nodded knowingly, his smile fading, and he said no more.

Gu Fan was happy to have some peace and quiet, and picked up the spirit wine and took a sip by himself.

Halfway through the banquet, all the music and rituals suddenly stopped.

A steady footstep slowly echoed from the main hall. An elderly man with silver hair and a black robe ascended the high platform. He had a refined appearance, a profound aura, and a faint golden core pressure emanating from his body.

Gu Fan's eyelids twitched slightly, realizing that the other party was none other than the Wang family patriarch.

All the guests stood up and bowed, not daring to be negligent.

Wang Jingshuo's gaze swept across the entire room, a smile playing on his lips as he slowly spoke: "Today, our clan is welcoming a new member into the family. Since you have all come from afar, I have specially prepared a simple feast to express my hospitality. I hope you will all enjoy yourselves and share in the camaraderie of fellow cultivators."

"Thank you, senior." Everyone bowed again.

After the ceremony, the clan elders led a group of young children onto the square and lined up in rows.

Wang Jingshuo looked at the boy standing at the front and smiled, "Come forward."

The boy, clearly having been instructed beforehand, quickly stepped forward upon hearing the sound, bowed deeply, and said cleverly, "Greetings, Ancestor!"

Wang Jingshuo nodded slightly, and after the boy stood up, he placed his palm on the boy's dantian.

The boy immediately tensed up, his face tightened, and he stood still, afraid to move.

In the corner, Gu Fan quietly activated his Myriad Manifestations Eye and immediately saw a gray light appear in Wang Jingshuo's seemingly empty palm!

When he placed his palm on the boy's dantian, a wisp of light suddenly separated and disappeared into it.

"A mid-grade spiritual root!" Wang Jingshuo said with a kind smile.

Upon hearing this, the boy became excited, kowtowed again, and was led away by the clan elders.

Gu Fan watched coldly, a chill creeping into his heart.

The so-called examination of spiritual roots was a pretense from beginning to end; in reality, they were using the bloodline of children to secretly perform evil magic.

Before the next child could even step onto the stage, a murderous glint flashed in Gu Fan's eyes. He raised his hand, summoned the Returning Origin Furnace, and slammed it down onto the high platform.

"Who goes there!"

Wang Jingshuo sensed the fluctuation of magical power, suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise, and at the same time summoned a white jade scroll to protect himself.

"Boom!"

The Guiyuan Furnace crashed down like a shooting star.

The crimson flames painted the wedding banquet with a bloody hue.