Uncle Nine: Scattering beans to create soldiers? I'm using plants and trees to create soldiers.

By the time Lin Xuan and Chen Bingwen arrived at the hillside, the battle in the forest had already ended.

Broken trees lay scattered haphazardly on the slope.

Several broken magical artifacts were scattered in the mud, and the charred talismans were still emitting faint wisps of smoke.

The evil cultivators from the Yellow Heaven Cult who had been chasing Du Hongying and Zhang Yan all fell to the ground around them.

Some had their chests caved in, others had thick branches piercing their bodies and pinning them to tree trunks.

Several more bodies lay among the rubble and mud, their bodies showing no signs of life.

Uncle Nine stood to the side, his robes neat and his breathing steady. Apart from some mud on the soles of his shoes, it was almost impossible to tell that he had just been fighting someone.

Lin Xuan only glanced at them, but he could tell that these people had little chance of fighting back before they died.

Rather than saying there was a fierce battle here, it would be more accurate to say that Uncle Nine unilaterally swept them all away.

Master truly lives up to his reputation!

A mid-stage geomancer is not someone these ordinary evil cultivators can easily mess with.

In contrast, Du Hongying and Zhang Yan were in a much more disheveled state.

The two sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, their eyes slightly closed, circulating their Dao Qi to suppress their internal injuries.

"Senior Sister!"

Upon seeing Du Hongying, Chen Bingwen immediately quickened his pace and ran over to her.

"Senior sister, how are you?"

"Where are you injured?"

Chen Bingwen looked the other person up and down, his tone full of worry.

Du Hongying slowly opened her eyes.

Her face was still somewhat pale, and her left arm and waist were wrapped with strips of cloth that had been hastily torn off. There were still faint traces of char around the wounds, but her breathing had gradually become steady.

But upon seeing Chen Bingwen unharmed, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

Then, Du Hongying gently shook her head.

"It's nothing serious. No vital organs were injured. You'll recover after a few days of rest."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bingwen let out a long sigh of relief.

From the moment he learned that his senior sister had fallen into an ambush, the heavy weight on his heart finally lifted.

"It's alright...it's alright."

Chen Bingwen repeated himself twice before turning to look at Zhang Yan sitting next to him.

Zhang Yan's clothes were also somewhat torn, and there were several charred marks on his chest and shoulders from the evil fire, but his injuries were obviously less severe than Du Hongying's.

He had just finished practicing his internal energy and opened his eyes, which met Chen Bingwen's gaze.

The two nodded to each other, confirming that neither was seriously injured, and then said nothing more.

At this moment, Du Hongying stood up, supporting herself on her knees. Her gaze fell on Lin Xuan, and she looked him up and down for a moment.

"This must be Master One-Eyebrow's esteemed disciple, right? I've heard Bingwen mention Young Friend Lin before."

"Meeting you today, you are indeed a man of exceptional talent!"

Du Hongying's expression turned serious as she spoke.

"I must thank my young friend Lin for his help with the matter of Beiqinghe."

"You not only helped Bingwen clean up the troubles, but also preserved the reputation of my Lushan lineage."

"I, the Third Mistress faction, will remember this favor."

After speaking, she bowed slightly to Lin Xuan and gave a solemn salute.

Lin Xuan quickly stepped to the side and raised his hand in return.

"You flatter me, senior!"

"Members of the Xuanmen sect should help each other when they travel outside."

"Besides, I hit it off with Fellow Daoist Chen at first sight. Now that we've run into each other, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Hearing this, Chen Bingwen felt a warmth in his heart.

Although he knew there was some politeness involved, he couldn't help but feel moved when he thought about his experiences in Renjia Town.

Zhang Yan also walked over at this moment.

Chen Bingwen quickly introduced the two parties.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, this is Fellow Daoist Zhang Yan of the Huaguang Sect. We met today at Li Fuhai's residence."

Zhang Yan cupped his hands in greeting, "Zhang Yan of the Huaguang Sect greets Fellow Daoist Lin."

Lin Xuan also raised his hand in return, "Lin Xuan of Maoshan greets Fellow Daoist Zhang."

After a brief exchange of greetings, Lin Xuan's gaze fell upon the corpses of the Yellow Heaven Sect's heretical cultivators not far away.

"Master, what exactly happened here?"

Lin Xuan asked.

Uncle Nine briefly recounted how Du Hongying tracked down the unusual water vapor, discovered the water monster, and was ambushed by the evil cultivators of the Yellow Heaven Cult.

Zhang Yan was surrounded by several members of the Yellow Heaven Cult while tracking another evil aura.

Lin Xuan's brows furrowed as he listened.

"The Yellow Heaven Sect has colluded with the Li family?"

"They even set up an ambush in the mountains beforehand, specifically waiting for the Xuanmen cultivators who came to investigate?"

Uncle Nine nodded slightly. "Judging from the current situation, that is indeed the case."

Chen Bingwen couldn't help but ask, "So what do we do now? Should we immediately chase after those monsters that were taken away?"

Lin Xuan also turned his gaze to Uncle Nine.

Uncle Nine shook his head.

"The Yellow Heaven Sect members who took away the water monster must have used some kind of method or artifact to conceal their aura, thus confusing their aura and making it very difficult to track them by their aura."

He glanced at the location of Huaiyuan Town at the foot of the mountain.

"Let's go check out the Li family mansion first."

"Since the traps here are related to the Li family, we might be able to find some useful clues in their mansion."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Lin Xuan spoke up, "Master, let's work together from now on."

"The fact that the other side was able to set a trap in advance shows that they were well prepared."

"If we split up again, it will be easier for them to defeat us one by one."

Du Hongying nodded in deep understanding.

If Uncle Jiu hadn't arrived in time, even if she and Zhang Yan had managed to kill one or two evil cultivators, they would have had a hard time escaping.

Zhang Yan also had no objections.

Although the Li family appears to be just seafood merchants in Huaiyuan Town, their hidden strength is far greater than that of ordinary evil cultivators, so it is safer to act together.

Moreover, with Uncle Jiu, a geomancer, in charge, they have enough confidence to deal with any schemes the Li family may have.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the corpse on the ground again.

Those evil cultivators of the Yellow Heaven Cult carried magic bags, elixirs, and various evil artifacts.

Although many of these items cannot be used directly by orthodox cultivators, they can be used to infuse spiritual plants after purification.

Uncle Nine noticed his gaze, reached out and untied the Qiankun bag from his waist, and casually handed it over.

"Stop looking."

"Everything that can be collected, and anything that is even slightly useful, is inside."

Lin Xuan quickly caught the Qiankun bag, a bright smile immediately spreading across his face. "Thank you, Master."

He probed a wisp of his divine sense into the bag.

Inside, there were several Huangtian Sect magical artifacts, as well as several porcelain bottles containing pills, talismans, magic coins, and some materials for refining evil artifacts.

The quantity was even greater than what they had obtained from that group of Huangtian Sect alchemists last time.

Lin Xuan's smile grew wider and wider, almost impossible to suppress.

Chen Bingwen stood to the side, watching as Uncle Nine casually handed a full Qiankun bag of spoils to Lin Xuan, and a strong sense of envy rose in his heart once again.

No wonder he has a master to take care of him!

Even if you work yourself to the bone, you often only get a small amount of materials.

Lin Xuan didn't need to say anything; Uncle Jiu had already packed away all the useful things for him.

The group did not linger in the mountains any longer.

After treating their injuries briefly, they headed down the mountain together.

......

At the same time.

Li Mansion in Huaiyuan Town.

blah blah blah!

A fine celadon teacup slipped from his hand, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces.

Scalding hot tea splashed onto Li Fuhai's clothes and the back of his hands, causing a stinging sensation on his skin, but he paid no attention to it and suddenly stood up from his chair.

"What did you say?"

"Say it again!!!"

Li Fuhai stared intently at the servant kneeling in the hall. His originally haggard face was now as gloomy as the bottom of a pot, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

The servant kneeling on the ground trembled all over. He supported himself with his hands on the ground, not daring to lift his head, and said in a trembling voice, "The two statues in the secret room have been stolen."

"The Fifth Prince's lifeline has been completely shattered."

"The life scales left behind by the Third Young Master and the others have also dimmed. A layer of yellow light has also appeared on them."

"It looks like..."

The servant swallowed hard.

"It's like the power of the bloodline within my body has been corrupted."

Li Fuhai swayed slightly. He reached out to grab the table, but his hand grasped nothing. He slumped back into the chair.

"Yellow light..."

"Huangya Taiguang..."

He repeated it twice in a low voice, a deep hatred gradually appearing in his eyes.

"It's Li Chengfeng."

"Li Chengfeng!"

"You traitor!"

Li Fuhai suddenly raised his head, his voice becoming hysterical.

"Why do you insist on going against your family?"

Why are you targeting me?

"I haven't done anything to you! Why are you settling scores with me?!"

His breathing became increasingly rapid, and he gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands standing out.

"The idol has been stolen..."

"More than a dozen aquatic creatures have gone out of control..."

"Are you trying to destroy me? Are you trying to destroy your entire family?!"

Li Fuhai exerted force with his fingers, his knuckles turning pale from the pressure, as if he wanted to crush the wooden handrail.

But he was ultimately just an ordinary person with little cultivation; no matter how hard he tried, the handrail remained completely undamaged...

A moment later, Li Fuhai seemed to have all his strength drained away, and he slumped weakly into the chair.

He remained silent for a long time before raising his hand and gently waving it at the servants.

"Go...leave Huaiyuan Town, and don't stay in the provincial capital! Head north, or go south, it's fine!"

"Anyway... go as far away as possible! And... never come back."

The servant kneeling on the ground slowly raised his head, "Master..."

Li Fuhai suddenly sat up straight and roared at him.

"Let's go!"

"Do you want to die here with me?"

The servant froze abruptly, staring at Li Fuhai's almost distorted face, his eyes instantly turning red.

A moment later, he bent down and kowtowed three times heavily on the ground.

boom!

boom!

boom!

"master."

Take care.

After saying that, the servant got up from the ground and staggered towards the door.

Li Fuhai sat in the chair, quietly watching his figure disappear outside the courtyard gate.

The large hall fell silent again.

All that remained were shards of porcelain on the ground and tea stains that continued to spread in all directions.

Li Fuhai, holding onto the edge of the table, slowly stood up.

He walked unsteadily through the corridor and came to the Li Family Ancestral Hall alone.

The ancestral hall was filled with the smoke of incense, and rows of ancestral tablets of the Li family were placed on the altar.

Li Fuhai knelt on the prayer mat and kowtowed several times to the memorial tablets.

"Fuhai has let down his ancestors! He has also let down his forefathers!"

"I was unable to carry on the family business."

"And we weren't able to take good care of the children either..."

"Fuhai has failed his ancestors!!"

He pressed his forehead against the cold ground, not lifting it for a long time.

The incense and candles in the ancestral hall burned quietly, and the smoke swirled among the memorial tablets, but no spiritual light appeared.

These ancestral tablets, which the Li family had worshipped for decades, were now just empty shells. No matter how much Li Fuhai repented, he would not receive any response.

After a long time,

Li Fuhai slowly stood up, walked around to the altar, and reached down to feel around for a while.

Click—

A wooden plank sprang outwards, revealing a hidden compartment.

In the hidden compartment was only a small wooden box. Li Fuhai took it out, slowly opened it, and a faint fishy smell wafted out.

Inside the box was a pill completely wrapped in a black wax coating.

Li Fuhai looked at the pill, his pupils contracted slightly, and his body instinctively took half a step back.

This pill, once ingested, can cause not only the physical body to decay, but even the soul, rendering all spells that track the soul ineffective!

The thought of the consequences filled him with an instinctive fear that made his fingers tremble slightly.

Li Fuhai closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and after calming down a bit, he picked up the pills and slowly walked to the window.

His gaze drifted to the distant sky, where birds flew by, stray cats strolled along the courtyard wall, the artificial hill, the woods, and a clear spring...

Li Fuhai stood there, silent for nearly a minute, his eyes filled with an inexplicable expression.

He had anticipated this day would come, but he didn't expect it to come so soon.

Two days ago, he began making arrangements to destroy the family's inner pond in Huaiyuan Town, deal with the relevant personnel, and transfer family assets...

He thought that as long as he was careful enough, he could get through this, but in the end, he still failed.

A crushing defeat!

The old ancestor has stated that the line must be cut off by him!

Now... he can only atone with his death.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, focused his gaze on his hands, and slowly peeled away the black wax coating on the pill with his fingers.

"Li Chengfeng".

"Don't think that just because you have the Yellow Heaven Sect protecting you, you can rest easy forever."

"The Xuanmen sect has already taken notice of this place. And you have countless connections with your family."

"Sooner or later, you will follow in my footsteps."

Li Fuhai threw a piece of black wax on the ground, his voice growing softer and softer.

"I'll be waiting for you in hell."

He paused slightly as he said this.

The wax coating in his hand had been completely peeled off, revealing the dark-colored pill inside.

The surface of the elixir had no luster whatsoever; instead, it resembled a black hole capable of swallowing light.

Li Fuhai stared for a moment, thinking about the consequences of swallowing the pill, and a self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

"After consuming this pill, even the soul will be gone; how could one possibly descend into hell..."

"Death...So death is so easy, so close to me..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw the pill into his mouth.

click-

He bit down hard on the pill, and a fishy, ​​bitter taste instantly filled his mouth.

Li Fuhai forced himself to swallow all the shattered pills, suppressing his nausea.

He stood there, closed his eyes, and waited for a few seconds.

The next moment, Li Fuhai's face suddenly twisted.

Intense pain erupted from my abdomen and quickly spread to my limbs and bones.

"Well......"

He clutched his abdomen with both hands, his body trembling uncontrollably, and beneath his skin, it seemed as if countless black insect shadows were rapidly moving.

puff!

A mouthful of black blood spurted from his mouth, splashing onto the altar and ancestral tablets.

Li Fuhai's eyes were filled with resentment, but his body could no longer support him, and he fell heavily to the ground.

Black blood kept gushing from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, and his skin was rapidly rotting and melting.

First the fingers, then the arms, cheeks, and chest...

The flesh and blood collapsed little by little, like a block of wax exposed to intense heat, turning into a black liquid that emitted a foul odor.

When Lin Xuan and his group arrived at the Li residence, only Li Fuhai's last face, which had not yet completely melted away, remained in the ancestral hall.

He lay in a pool of thick, black water, his murky eyes gazing at the ancestral tablets on the altar...

Before anyone could react, his face darkened.

All that remained was a pool of black water constantly bubbling.