With the revival of spiritual energy, I cultivated the Great Emperor's Technique on Blue Star.

Military orders are absolute, their impact shaking all directions!

With Li Cang's order, the entire Jiangcheng instantly transformed into a strict "prison".

The suspended dome of light shone brightly, its crisscrossing spiritual energy patterns locking down every inch of space, making it impossible for birds to fly over or for mosquitoes to escape. All the city's major transportation routes, highway entrances, and mountain passes were guarded by the martial arts department's elite troops. Their cold armor and unsheathed weapons plunged the once bustling river city into a state of wartime solemnity.

Wang Jianjun acted extremely quickly. In just a few minutes, a series of top-secret electronic files were rapidly retrieved and transmitted to his specially made communication device, listing all the veteran fourth-tier peak martial artists in Jiangcheng.

There were seven people in total, most of whom were in seclusion for many years. Their cultivation level had been stuck at the peak of the fourth rank for decades. Their cultivation was profound and solid. They were half a step away from the fifth rank but could not break through to the next level in their lifetime, and their lifespan was almost exhausted.

"Mr. Li, the entire list has been verified and is now locked!"

"Set off."

Li Cang remained expressionless, his tone sharp and biting.

As soon as he finished speaking, the terrifying spiritual power of the fifth-tier peak surged forth, carrying only Lin Yan and Wang Jianjun, instantly transforming into a long rainbow that pierced through the air and headed straight for the first fourth-tier peak location.

Today, he will use his status as a national protector to suppress the parasites lurking in the darkness of Jiangcheng!

As for the two fourth-tier martial artists whose injuries had stabilized, as well as the other members of the martial arts department, they were all left in place to conduct self-examinations before being dispatched to various parts of Jiangcheng.

Citywide screening officially begins!

……

On the outskirts of the city, there is the Qinglan Ancient Courtyard.

This place is the secluded residence of the Qing family, a long-established martial arts family in Jiangcheng. The courtyard is simple and rustic, surrounded by green bamboo. It seems elegant and refined, but in fact, these bamboos are in harmony with heaven and earth, forming a defensive array. There is a hazy mist, which is very much like the immortal cave in ancient legends.

Inside the courtyard, an elderly man with white hair reaching his shoulders was waiting there early in the morning. Although his breathing was long and deep, it was hard to hide the twilight of his life. He was the first person on the list to be investigated.

Faced with Li Cang and his entourage descending from the sky, the old man showed slight surprise, then rose, cupped his hands, and spoke frankly: "I am humbled by the presence of Lord Li Zhenguo. I wonder what brings you here today, ordering me to gather the entire clan for a large-scale search?"

The old man spoke calmly, his martial arts origins were pure and orthodox, upright and mellow, showing no trace of evil. If an ordinary martial artist were to investigate, they would definitely rule him out as a suspect.

Li Cang unleashed an aura more imposing than mountains, enveloping the entire Qing family territory. His voice was icy: "Recently, the Qing family has been overreaching. Do you perhaps think that Jiangcheng belongs to the Qing family?"

"I am terrified," the Qing family patriarch hurriedly said, secretly wondering what they had done to cross the red line of the Great Xia government.

On the other side, a glint of darkness flashed in Lin Yan's eyes as he quietly activated the Devouring Heaven Array within his body, drawing upon a wisp of life force from the Qing family patriarch, and then shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Li Cang's eyes were indifferent. After sensing Lin Yan's actions, he did not make things difficult for the Qing family patriarch. He said in a deep voice, "I suppose that with your Qing family's intelligence channels, you should already know that Jiangcheng has been in turmoil recently. I am here to warn you not to be greedy for short-term gains and do something you will regret for the rest of your life."

"When the time comes, don't say you weren't warned."

As soon as they finished speaking, the group turned and disappeared into the air without lingering.

Watching the departing figures, the Qing family patriarch in the courtyard let out a long sigh of relief, though his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He then decisively summoned an old servant: "Quickly, tell all the clan members to behave themselves for the time being. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be personally removed from the clan register!"

The pressure of a national-level expert personally interrogating someone is something no one can easily bear.

Then, the Luoxia Temple in the west of the city, an old house in the north of the city, and other sects, secluded mountain villas, and veteran experts all seemed to have a life force that didn't match the mastermind behind the scenes.

Until the sixth, the Zhou family patriarch, Zhou Xuanji.

"Zhou Xuanji, during the early stages of the spiritual energy revival, by chance obtained the inheritance of the ancient sect 'Tianji Pavilion,' thus embarking on martial arts cultivation. Starting from scratch, he built a vast empire over the past few decades."

"Logically speaking, he still had a long life ahead of him, but for some unknown reason, Zhou Xuanji's lifespan was passing by extremely quickly, and he had already reached the point of exhaustion."

Outside the Zhou family's territory, Wang Jianjun slowly spoke, revealing some information about Zhou Xuanji.

Just as Li Cang was about to lead him and Lin Yan inside, Lin Yan suddenly frowned and stopped them from moving forward.

"This is the place. It has the same atmosphere as that battlefield, and there's also a very faint smell of blood."

Upon hearing this, Li Cang was slightly taken aback, giving Lin Yan a meaningful look. A storm raged in his heart. "This kid's perception is even sharper than mine!"

It should be noted that he was a fifth-tier national-level being, who had already made initial contact with the "Martial Will," a realm similar to the primordial spirit described in cultivation novels, yet he was defeated by a young man. It truly makes one sigh at how old one is.

Wang Jianjun, standing to the side, was in the same boat. He never imagined that in middle age he would find himself in a situation where he was neither as old as his elders nor as young as his children.

"Looks like we've found the real deal."

"Zhou Xuanji, come out."

Li Cang stood before the gate, his voice resounding throughout the surrounding area. His fifth-order aura quietly suppressed the entire area, enveloping the entire Zhou family estate.

"I am truly sorry that I was unable to greet Li Zhenguo in time when he came in person."

The ancient, heavy wooden door slowly opened inward, and a hunched, aged figure walked out from it.

Zhou Xuanji was emaciated, with a hunched back, sparse white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and cloudy eyes. His blood and energy had deteriorated to the extreme, as if a strong wind could blow him over.

Dressed in coarse linen clothes covered in dust, he appeared to be an old man nearing the end of his life, but he possessed no trace of the imposing presence of a powerful figure.

If an unsuspecting passerby saw him, they would only think he was a frail and sickly old man from the mountains. They would never imagine that beneath this decaying body lay a terrifying cultivation level at the peak of the fourth rank. He may appear old and frail, but he is actually a tiger lying in wait!

"Li Zhenguo mobilized a massive force, sealing off the entire Jiangcheng city and scouring every sect and clan, all just to find this old, crippled body of mine?"

Zhou Xuanji's voice was hoarse and dry, carrying a sense of decay from the passage of time. He slowly raised his cloudy eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on Li Cang. He had a half-smile on his face, his expression calm and composed, appearing open, selfless, and without any flaws.

"How smoothly are you absorbing the life essence of your people?"

Just then, to everyone's surprise, Lin Yan suddenly spoke, revealing a fact that sent chills down the spines of both Li Cang and Wang Jianjun.

Judging from his words, Zhou Xuanji actually performed a blood sacrifice on his entire clan!

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Xuanji, who had been frail, weak, and composed, cracked his expression and replaced it with extreme ruthlessness, violence, and ferocity!