The First Venerable of All Paths

"They should have started inside by now, right?"

Lu Ling, who was guarding the stone gate, was not at peace.

I was even a little uneasy and scared.

She knew what she was doing.

Those who plot against the clan chief's offspring will, according to clan rules, be reduced to ashes and have their souls extracted and refined.

But she dared not disobey Lu Ren's orders.

All we can do is hope that Lu Ren will succeed and seize control of the family.

In that case, she might still be able to save her life.

"Manman, don't blame me."

Lu Ling wiped away non-existent tears, her eyes hardening.

"I want to live too!"

Just then, a sarcastic voice rang in Lu Ling's ears.

"Wanting to live is certainly understandable, but isn't it too cruel to use the lives of your closest relatives and family members as the price?"

Lu Ling trembled and exclaimed in surprise, "Who?"

Her aura swirled around her, and a long whip automatically appeared in her hand. She lashed it out directly in the direction from which the sound came.

"Snapped!"

The whip shot out, but was caught directly by a hand.

A figure gradually appeared.

It was Fang Xuan.

"Is it you?"

Lu Ling was startled and exclaimed, "You're still alive?"

"Your plan was excellent and very successful."

Fang Xuan said, "Unfortunately, you think you can kill me with just a few Rifttooth Lionhounds? Don't you think that's a bit too naive?"

"Xuantian, so what if you're not dead? It doesn't change anything."

Lu Ling said, "Brother Lu Ren's plan has already begun. As long as that little girl dies, Brother Lu Ren will be the one in charge of the entire Lu family."

"If you know what's good for you, you might as well attach yourself to Brother Lu Ren. I can guarantee you endless riches and glory."

Lu Ling continued to tempt you, "Martial arts techniques, cultivation resources, even... women, Brother Lu Ren can satisfy all your needs."

"That sounds great."

"So you're agreeing?"

Fang Xuan smiled slightly and said, "I refuse."

"you......"

Before Lu Ling could finish speaking, Fang Xuan disappeared from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already behind Lu Ling, his five fingers gripping her neck.

"How is that possible?"

Lu Ling's pupils contracted, her face filled with terror.

"Xuantian, you can't kill me."

Lu Ling said in a fearful tone, "Brother Lu Ren has already started. According to his plan, he will use Manman's blood essence to sacrifice to his enlightenment platform. Once Brother Lu Ren's secret technique is perfected, he will be comparable to those sect's holy sons, and his strength will be unfathomable."

"Why bother for a little girl who's destined to die..."

"Snap!"

Before Lu Ling could finish speaking, Fang Xuan tightened his grip and snapped Lu Ling's neck.

Lu Ling's expression froze instantly, her eyes wide open, still filled with disbelief.

She hadn't expected Fang Xuan to be so decisive.

"I have no interest in cooperating with you."

Fang Xuan's lips curled up slightly as he muttered to himself, "As for Lu Ren, he won't have a chance to leave alive."

......

Inside the Blood Pool Cave.

As a large amount of blood pool energy was injected into the Enlightenment Platform, more and more profound runes appeared.

Lu Ren, on the other hand, formed hand seals, absorbing these profound runes as much as possible.

"Not enough, not enough!"

Lu Ren roared inwardly.

He needs even greater energy to activate the profound runes within his Enlightenment Platform.

Only in this way can he elevate the secret technique he has cultivated to the realm of true martial arts essence.

"Lu Tian, ​​Lu Ming, speed up!"

Lu Ren's voice came from the Enlightenment Platform.

"I need more essence and blood to sacrifice to my enlightenment platform."

Lu Tian and the other man were using all their strength to desperately control the barrier and extract Manman's essence blood.

But what puzzled them was that, despite the increasing amount of power surging from the blood pool, Lu Ren still felt it wasn't enough.

"Young Master, we have done our best."

Lu Tian gritted his teeth and said, "Logically speaking, that little girl's essence blood should have been completely drained long ago. How could it not be enough?"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ren's expression changed drastically.

He looked down and saw a faint golden light emanating from within the barrier, as if it were protecting something.

"No, her essence and blood weren't extracted; something is protecting her."

Upon hearing this, Lu Tian and the other man's expressions changed drastically.

"impossible!"

Lu Tian exclaimed in shock, "This Blood Stripping Technique is a secret art specifically designed for members of the Lu family. Ordinary methods simply cannot stop it."

"Ordinary methods certainly won't work, but the formation that Brother Xuantian gave us will."

At this moment, a crisp, clear voice rang out from the blood pool, carrying a hint of schadenfreude.

As soon as he finished speaking, golden array patterns surged out, shattering the barrier that Lu Tian and the other person had been struggling to maintain.

"puff!"

The two suffered a backlash from the secret technique, immediately spitting out blood and flying backward.

Before them appeared a golden array that enveloped the entire blood pool.

Manman stood in the blood pool, looking at Lu Ren with a gloating expression.

"Brother Lu Ren, were you trying to kill me just now?"

Manman blinked her big, watery eyes, her face seemingly smiling, but it gave Lu Ren a chill down his spine.

"You...you guessed it all along, so you were prepared in advance?"

Lu Ren's voice sounded somewhat exasperated.

"I'm just young, not stupid."

Manman rolled her eyes and said, "Do you really think I'd believe your nonsense and be foolish enough to let you manipulate me based on just a few words?"

"It seems I underestimated you."

Lu Ren took a deep breath and said, "But do you really think I don't have any other backup plans?"

"Originally, I wanted to let you absorb the energy of the blood pool first, and then help me activate the Enlightenment Platform. But since you have discovered me, I have no choice but to kill you and use your blood and soul to sacrifice for the Enlightenment Platform."

Lu Ren coldly ordered, "Lu Tian and Lu Ming, execute the second plan."

"yes!"

Having just recovered their senses, Lu Tian and his companion immediately took out several talismans.

He opened his mouth and spat out his essence blood onto the talisman.

"Buzz!"

A powerful aura suddenly surged from the two talismans.

Immediately afterwards, two beams of light shot out directly from the talisman and struck the golden array.

"Boom!"

A muffled sound rang out, and the golden array began to shake violently.

The array patterns were dim, as if they wouldn't last much longer.

Manman's face changed, and she seemed a little scared.

"continue!"

Lu Tian let out a cold shout, once again circulating the power within his body to activate the power of the talismans and bombard the formation.

After several attempts, the formation shattered with a crack.

As soon as the formation was broken, Manman's little face turned deathly pale.

Without hesitation, she climbed out of the blood pool and ran towards the distance.

"Kill her!"

Lu Ren said coldly, "Although the effect will be greatly reduced, it's better than nothing!"

Lu Tian and the other man exchanged a glance and then chased after Manman.

Although Lu Tian and his companion's cultivation levels were suppressed to the Condensation Realm, they were still far superior to Manman's Body Tempering Realm cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Ming was the first to approach Manman.

The hand, enveloped in power, struck Manman hard in the back.

"You disobedient little brat, go to hell!"

Just as his hand was about to land on Manman, a streak of light whistled through the air and passed right through the back of Lu Ming's head.

As a spurt of blood appeared, Lu Ming felt as if all the power in his body had been drained away, and then he collapsed limply to the ground.

"thump!"

Lu Ming still had a sliver of life left, and he raised his eyelids to look up.

Beside Manman, a small, palm-sized cyan sword floated silently, emitting a chilling sword aura.

"Flying... sword?"

Lu Ming's pupils contracted, then suddenly dilated, and he was completely lifeless.

"Lu Ming?!"

Upon witnessing Lu Ming's tragic death, Lu Tian was so frightened that he cried out, his face filled with horror and shock.

Lu Mingke was at the Divine Intent Realm level, but after his realm was suppressed, he was still equivalent to a half-step Divine Intent Realm cultivator.

With such cultivation, he was killed in a single blow.

"Flying sword, that's a swordsman's!"

When he saw the small blue sword next to Manman, the fear on his face immediately reached its maximum.

"Young Master, a swordsman is attacking from the shadows!"

Lu Tian's voice was shrill and sharp, concealing extreme fear.

"I'm not blind!"

Lu Tian didn't see how Lu Ming died, but Lu Ren did.

He looked towards the entrance of the cave and said sternly, "I never expected that Master Xuantian would have such skills. He is truly admirable."

"Xuantian?"

Lu Tian exclaimed, "Wasn't he dead?"

Lu Ren ignored him, staring at the entrance to the cave, his eyes seemingly gathering wind and thunder.

"Tsk, as expected of the eldest son of the Lu family, he's quite clever."

A soft laugh rang out, and Fang Xuan, dressed as Xuan Tian, ​​slowly walked over, seemingly carrying something in his hand.

"thump!"

He threw what he was holding forward; it was Lu Ling.

"Lu Ling!"

Upon seeing Lu Ling's corpse, Lu Tian gasped in shock.

This Taoist Master Xuantian has some ruthless methods!

"Brother Xuantian!"

Upon seeing Fang Xuan, Manman hurriedly ran over, but avoided Lu Ling's corpse.

"It's alright now."

Fang Xuan rubbed Manman's head and looked at Lu Ren: "Martial Dao Spiritual Platform. I didn't expect that the Lu family's Blood Pool would contain such a good thing. No wonder the eldest young master Lu was willing to harm his own family in order to obtain this fortune."

"Master Xuantian, we are both intelligent people, so let's get straight to the point."

Lu Ren said, "Hand over Manman to me, and I'll agree to any conditions you set after I've accomplished my mission."

"Although I don't know what that woman Lu Zhao promised you, I can give you everything you want."

"really?"

A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!

Fang Xuan shook his head and said, "You're not exactly a gentleman, how can I trust you?"

"you......"

A flash of anger crossed Lu Ren's eyes as he said, "Daoist Xuantian, do you truly intend to be my enemy?"

"See, you're in a hurry again."

Fang Xuan smiled and said, "Although my skills and strength are average, I am a man of my word. Since I promised Patriarch Lu to protect this little girl, I must keep my word."

"Okay, okay!"

Lu Ren laughed in fury and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll just have to send you on your way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ren formed a hand seal, and the Xuan Turtle scales immediately emitted a dazzling light, directly enveloping Fang Xuan.

"Lu Tian, ​​now's the time to kill that little girl!"

Seeing this, Lu Tian knew that he should not miss the opportunity.

He moved swiftly, using his lightning-fast movement technique to close in on Manman, and unleashed a palm strike.

"Buzz!"

The next moment, the cyan sword transformed into a streak of light, circling gently in the air.

Lu Tian remained in a forward-leaning posture, but his head suddenly separated from his body and fell to the ground with a thud.

His face still held a fierce and angry expression.

One sword strike, and Lu Tian is slain!

"waste!"

Seeing that Lu Tian was also dead, Lu Ren, enraged, suddenly stood up from the Enlightenment Platform.

He raised his arm, and the flow of qi and blood in his body gathered at his fingertips.

"Qi and Blood Strike!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a blood-red finger, brimming with murderous intent, shot out towards Manman.