System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

hiss--

He couldn't help but gasp.

The true teachings of the superior lineage!

After examining his robes again, they finally confirmed his identity.

He quickly retreated to a position several feet away from Chen Wen, not daring to speak, to keep watch for him.

He transmitted his voice to the old man leading the group below, "Young friend... how long have you been here?"

Seeing that his Foundation Establishment ancestor had such an attitude, the old man hurriedly replied:

"Reporting to Ancestor, it has been a little over an hour."

The white-haired old man tossed down a storage bag and gave the instructions:

"Go, prepare a banquet! Summon all the beautiful women in the family to perform a dance!"

"No need, thank you for your protection, fellow Daoist."

At this moment, Chen Wen opened his eyes, glanced at the old man suspended in mid-air, and spoke in a calm tone.

"So you are the patriarch of the Cao family?"

"I dare not accept such praise, my name is Cao Yunde. I am rather old and have grown a bit older than I should. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly when you came to visit!"

The white-haired old man smiled kindly and said:

"Young friend, your presence at my Cao family home is truly an honor. Please do not refuse, and let us do our best to be your hosts."

The old man below was so angry at his ancestor's words that he almost pulled his beard off. This was a member of the Chen family, yet you were trying to act like a host after seizing someone else's territory.

He couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only watch anxiously.

Chen Wen couldn't help but chuckle. "Using my place to entertain me?"

That's really... unique!

Although he had no intention of helping the Chen family take revenge, he still had some familial ties with them. If he just sat idly by, he feared that the cause and effect would become entangled in the future.

Therefore, he said calmly:

"Patriarch Cao, take a look at my surname."

He pointed to the jade pendant at his waist.

Cao Yunde had already seen it and replied, "Chen..."

As soon as he spoke, he suddenly remembered that the place he was in had previously been inhabited by someone surnamed Chen.

No way!

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Chen Wen, however, seemed to have read his mind, smiled slightly, and said:

"Now that you know, how do you plan to explain yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Yunde felt a chill run down his spine, and a hint of anger rose within him. How dare a mere Qi Refining brat treat an old man like this!

But when he saw the jade pendant on her body, he wilted like a frostbitten eggplant. So what if the other party wanted to kill him? He didn't even have the right to fight back.

He can only be thankful that he didn't go to extremes back then.

He immediately knelt down: "Envoy Chen, please forgive us. The Cao family knows its mistake and is willing to return all the wealth and land, and find the Chen family members. We only beg you to calm your anger!"

"In that case, let's find the Chen family members first."

As Chen Wen spoke, he landed in a small courtyard halfway up the mountain; his voice still lingered.

"I will stay here for three days. If I do not see any members of the Chen family after three days, then the Cao family has no reason to exist..."

Upon hearing this, Cao Yunde frowned, but had no choice but to force a smile, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency!"

His words aroused the indignation of the young people below.

A haughty-looking youth stepped forward, looked up at the old ancestor in the sky, and shouted:

"Ancestor, this territory was earned by our Cao family through our own abilities. Why should we hand it over just because some nobody says a word?!"

Cao Yunde reacted swiftly, instantly setting up a restriction the moment the boy spoke, blocking the spread of the message.

He looked down at the boy below. A low-to-mid-grade spiritual root? A boy's temperament!

However, at this moment, another boy stood up and echoed:

"That's right, that envoy is only at the late stage of Qi Refining, why should the Ancestor be afraid of him?!"

Cao Yunde's eyes were cold: "A low-grade spiritual root, hopeless!"

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion, and the boy's face immediately turned red, and his body convulsed as if he had been choked.

Soon, the boy's aura dissipated, and Cao Yunde casually tossed him aside. He then surveyed the scene below and said coldly:

"Does anyone else have any objections?"

The people below fell silent, trembling with fear.

The boy was so frightened that he turned pale and dared not raise any further objections.

The old man was also sweating profusely, but he forced himself to stand up and said in a trembling voice:

"Ancestor, your descendants are unfilial and have troubled you. Please rest assured, I will arrange for people to find the Chen family members, manage the clan affairs, and prepare for the relocation."

Cao Yunde sighed softly, glanced at the ordinary courtyard below, and slowly said:

"I will go search myself. You all go and inform the rest of the branch families to prepare for... relocation..."

The women below had already begun to shed tears, and silently lowered their heads as they left.

At this time, Chen Wen...

I arrived at the small courtyard where I had lived for eight years.

The Cao family is smaller than the Chen family.

Chen Wen could tell that no one had lived in this courtyard since he left.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the tree he used to climb as a child by the gate was now covered in scars.

Walk through the weeds and push open the mottled wooden door.

"Squeak~"

The door hinges emitted a piercing groan.

What comes into view is a room full of dust, crisscrossed with cobwebs, and some books piled up in the corner.

Those were books he used to read.

Chen Wen never expected to have the chance to see them again.

He casually cast a cleaning spell, and a gentle breeze swept through the house, clearing away the dust and cobwebs.

But it cannot erase the erosion of time.

Those books were yellowed and brittle.

He casually crushed and scattered them.

He doesn't dwell on the past or wallow in self-pity.

Moreover, he had nothing worth remembering about the Chen family.

He didn't even go to see his mother.

Because he had known all along that the woman was only using him as a tool to make money.

The cause and effect between herself and her was only birth, not reproduction.

There's no time to think about these things anymore.

He took out a futon and sat down cross-legged.

Then it returned to the mud ball.

Chen Polang's translucent soul was firmly sealed.

I've regained consciousness now.

Chen Wen praised, "No wonder it was modified by the Soul of Ink Swamp; it recovered so quickly!"

Chen Polang's eyes were lifeless. Only when he saw Chen Wen arrive did he speak with a bitter smile:

"Son, let's talk this over. Let me go, and from now on we'll go our separate ways, owing each other nothing, okay?"

"Nothing is owed to either party?"

Chen Wen scoffed, his eyes filled with icy coldness. "I only know that death absolves all debts!"

Immediately, Chen Wen's fingertips began to flash with soul blades, which he then thrust towards Chen Polang.

Seeing that he was about to be subjected to another round of torture, Chen Polang hurriedly begged for mercy and shouted, trying to awaken the family affection in front of him;

"Jingwen, we're father and son!"

"It's precisely because we're father and son that I'm going to show you what I've learned at the Azure Nether Sect!"

Chen Wen let out a sinister laugh as he spoke: "Hehehehe..."

His hands didn't stop moving; he continued to approach Chen Polang.

Chen Polang's eyes showed despair.

"Ahhhhhh, spare me! I'll call you daddy, okay? Ahh ...

...

Half an hour later.

Chen Wencai let go of Chen Polang, who was so thin he was just a shadow.

With the transformation by the soul energy of the Ink Swamp, their souls have acquired characteristics such as regeneration, penetration, and erosion.

I'm not afraid that Chen Polang will die like this.

He simply sat cross-legged in front of Chen Polang, adopting a pained and indignant posture, and said:

"Father, do you realize your mistake?"

Chen Polang: "..."

"Father, if you don't say anything, I'll take that as an admission of wrongdoing. From now on, we'll never be apart again, okay?"

Chen Polang: "......."

"Father, if we work together, we'll surely make a name for ourselves. I'll take care of conquering the world, and you can vent my anger, just like you did before, how about that?"

"I..."

At this moment, Chen Polang suddenly emitted some faint signals, as if in a final burst of energy.

Chen Wen quickly went over, "Father, what did you say?"

Seeing that Chen Wen was off guard, Chen Polang approached and suddenly burst into a ferocious laugh: "Hahahaha, my good son, you're still too green! Die!"

Just then.

A sudden surge of spiritual energy emanated from behind Chen Wen!

"Hehe, finally out!"

However, Chen Wen remained calm, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Turn around, grab!"

An invisible, soul-stirring sound emanated from his mouth.

This is the Soul-Shattering Technique, a spell that Chen Wen acquired from Miaomiao Sound Peak.

Although the people of Miaoyin Peak are all abnormal, their magic, especially the art of sound, is quite accomplished.

This technique emits a mournful sound, silent and invisible, directly affecting the soul!

"Ugh—"

A painful roar rang out.

Chen Wen turned around and pulled out his slender silk technique, instantly capturing the soul shadow—another Chen Polang!

The next moment, Chen Polang regained his senses, only to find himself already in Chen Wen's hands. The feeling of being controlled and unable to resist returned to his soul.

He was terrified. "How did you know I existed?"

"I don't know!"

Chen Wen smiled and shook his head, "But I know you've been planning this for over a decade; it can't possibly end so easily!"

"Furthermore, the Soul-Possession Technique of Ink Marsh has methods for splitting, merging, and seizing souls. I don't think you wouldn't have a backup plan for yourself."

As Chen Wen spoke, he casually annihilated the original semi-transparent Chen Polang, grinding him into dust.

Then Chen Polang fixed the new toy back in its original position.

Chen Polang's face was ashen, but a glimmer of hope rekindled within him. "What you just said..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Wen interrupted him, laughed heartily, and said:

"Of course it's fake, it's just to fool you. You wouldn't actually believe it, would you? Hahahaha~"

Chen Polang fell silent.

However, Chen Wen had plenty of methods and means to make him beg for mercy.

After another round of torture.

This new Chen Polang also became a shadow.

Chen Wen seemed to have gotten tired of playing with it and simply waved his hand to scatter it.

Chen Wen collected all the soul energy from the crushed remains of his two souls, condensed it into a soul pill, and stored it in a jade bottle.

This thing can enhance one's spiritual power, but the downside is that the enhanced spiritual power is very impure and requires a great deal of effort to purify.

Moreover, relying on this method to enhance one's spirit and soul is fast and rapid, giving people the illusion of a significant increase in strength, while in reality, the foundation is weak and the spirit is easily defeated.

Simply put, it's highly addictive and can easily lead to addiction!

He only sells this stuff, he doesn't touch it!

He now possesses the Soul-Gathering Qi of the Ink Swamp and the Mysterious Yellow Heart-Refining Technique, so he has absolutely no need to rely on such external objects to enhance his soul power.

Now that his great revenge has been achieved, Chen Wen has not let his guard down.

His spiritual sense probed into the gluttonous stomach, where he saw a needle floating in the air.

The aura of recognition above has not dissipated.

Chen Wen sneered, "This old guy has been hiding his true colors well!"

He didn't make a fuss, but continued his cultivation quietly.

I deal with the people who come to visit me every day, and occasionally I go to the county town to stroll around and buy some ordinary trinkets.

Unfortunately, after examining the things he bought, he discovered that they were just ordinary items.

He sighed softly, "Sure enough, there aren't that many opportunities to snag a bargain."

...

the other side.

With Cao Yunde personally taking action, he quickly located the Chen family's whereabouts.

He reached out and touched the causal thread connecting himself to the Chen family. Following the thread, he saw a group of people dressed in black brocade robes gathered at the foot of a desolate mountain outside a market town.

He immediately realized that it was someone from the Chen family.

The cultivation method he practiced was the Jade Yang Tribulation Scripture, which mainly involved dual cultivation and experiencing the tribulation of love and fire. He used the earthy smoke demon he bought at the auction house to build his foundation.

Although it didn't suit his fire magic, he was fortunate to have an earth elemental root, which allowed him to barely attain the Dao Foundation [Yang Tribulation Smoke].

Fireworks accompany them, igniting the passion between rivals. They're covered in smoke, but it's not too bad.

However, the fundamental mystery of Tu Lao Yan Sha lies in his ability to sense the spiritual energy of the earth's veins. Wherever he is, the condition of the earth's veins cannot escape his keen eyes.

However, it ultimately didn't work; when activated, it produced smoke and flames, causing extreme pain.

But the effect is excellent.

In an instant, they arrived at the desolate mountain. Using their divine eyes to search, they saw hundreds of people among them.

It appears to be all the core members of the Chen family.

He took a step down and disappeared like a bubble, reappearing at the foot of the desolate mountain.

Inside the cave at the foot of the barren mountain.

A young man looked bitter. "Uncle, what should we do? Why don't we pack up and split up the family, and find another way out? It's better than waiting to die here. If the Cao family comes knocking, we'll all die here..."

Before the old man could even ask, a middle-aged man beside him scolded him:

"Chen Jingrun, your collateral branch is truly living up to its name. The patriarch is nowhere to be found, and now you're also going to defect. If I were you, I'd rather commit suicide to atone for my sins!"

"you......"

Before Chen Jingrun could offer any explanation, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face silently appeared before everyone, chuckling as he said:

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need for argument. I, Cao Yunde, cordially request that you all stay. I am willing to return all your family territories to you!"

Everyone was startled and stood up.

Such a face belongs to Cao Yunde, the patriarch of the Cao family.

Chen Jingrun remained unfazed, or rather, he had run out of options. He shrugged and said:

"See? I told you we should split up the family, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened! You tried so hard to bring the family together, but you all got wiped out!"

"Chen Jingrun!"

"Chen Guichen, your grandfather is here!"

The two completely ignored the Foundation Establishment cultivator and started hurling insults at each other.

This caused great fear among those around them. If someone who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage was acting rashly, they would be dead even if they didn't die!

However, Cao Yunde maintained a smiling expression throughout, as if he hadn't seen anything, and even waited until they finished arguing before speaking:

"Fellow Daoists, you have misunderstood. It was Yun De who was wrong before. The Chen and Cao families have been related by marriage for generations and have always been on good terms."

"Now that the Chen family's envoy has come to visit again, Yun De has suddenly realized his mistake and repented. He has come here to apologize. Fellow Daoists, whatever your requests may be, Yun De will have no objections!"

This statement came out.

Everyone looked bewildered.

Could this old guy be trying to trick them back to their base so they can refine their spirits with blood, or perhaps even refine the Myriad Soul Banner?

Wait a minute, isn't it unnecessary to go through all that trouble?

An envoy from the Supreme Court? An envoy from the Supreme Court?

The envoy from the upper sect wants to cultivate the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?

At this moment, Chen Jingrun suddenly remembered that seven years ago, one of his family members with a mid-grade spiritual root was sent to the Qingming Sect.

Could it be...

The idea had barely formed in his mind when he rejected it.

How could that be? Over the years, I have sent a few people there, but only one of them had a mid-grade spiritual root. The rest of them were treated as menial laborers and couldn't even support themselves!

You won the lottery with just a mid-grade spiritual root?

What a joke!

.............