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The blood moon at night exudes a chilling and eerie atmosphere.

The vast, boundless forest is fraught with danger.

But with Chen Yuan's current aura and power, ordinary demons and monsters wouldn't dare to approach him even a step.

Therefore, even though the distant dense forest was eerie and terrifying, often filled with ghostly wails, the mountain where he was located remained peaceful.

The night passed quietly.

"Brother Yuan, I've got it done."

The next day, as the hazy morning light fell on the mountaintop, Nuomi hopped and skipped to Chen Yuan's side, smiling broadly as she spoke.

Chen Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes, nodded slightly, and then got up to change into a new set of clothes.

After getting ready, he gestured for Nuomi to climb onto his back, and the two of them vanished from the mountain peak in a flash.

Chen Yuan traversed the mountains and forests, rampaging through them and fully experiencing the surge of power in his physical body.

Many towering ancient trees, even giant trees that would take more than a dozen people to encircle, were smashed to pieces by his casual bump, their trunks shattering and scattering everywhere.

"Wow, Brother Yuan is amazing!"

Nuomi lay on his back, clapping her hands repeatedly, full of joy.

Chen Yuan was also overjoyed.

He mastered the first level of the Demon God Devouring Heaven Technique and the Evil God Devouring Heaven Technique!

Strength, speed, and agility have all made a qualitative leap, and the five senses and spiritual perception have also climbed to an unprecedented level.

Even the slightest movement of a butterfly flapping its wings, several kilometers away, was clearly reflected in his vision and sensed.

If he were to use the Dragon Binding and Slaughtering Technique now, he would probably be even more powerful and valiant.

In an instant, Chen Yuan was filled with heroic spirit. He leaped into the air and soared a hundred meters into the sky, only to plummet to the ground like a shooting star!

boom!

With a deafening roar, the earth was smashed into a huge crater, and debris and dust flew everywhere.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed loudly, and after landing with Nuomi on his back, he sped off again!

Whoosh!

His speed increased, and when he encountered high mountains and great rivers, he would bend his knees to gather strength, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack open, and his body would soar into the air again, easily traversing one mountain after another and one stream after another.

Recklessly leaping through the mountains and forests, Chen Yuan felt an exhilarating and refreshing sensation.

That is a deep-seated yearning for great power.

"Haha, this is so much fun!"

Nuomi clung tightly to Chen Yuan's clothes, laughing heartily in the wind.

"Let's fly!"

Chen Yuan said in a light tone, "Little Nuomi, hold on tight."

"Okay!"

Nuomi nodded vigorously, her eyes wide as she looked down, the mountain scenery on both sides rushing past.

A strong wind swept across Chen Yuan's face and also ruffled Nuomi's hair.

This already treacherous and unpredictable desolate mountain wilderness was now filled with a leisurely sound of laughter.

------

Tianqing County, located in the center of the county seat, is the Martial Arts Square.

Above the void, several magnificent magic boats floated, each twenty or thirty meters long, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent and magnificent.

In the Great Xiang Empire, only beings with Xuanxiang household registration are qualified to possess a magic boat.

These five magic boats before us are the treasures of the five great beast-taming families of Tianqing County!

On the ground, the members of the four great human families looked up and gazed at the beast-manipulating cultivators on the magic boat. The human race unconsciously felt inferior in terms of their aura.

Many human cultivators secretly sighed, realizing that having a noble bloodline made all the difference; one could ride a magic boat and look down upon all living beings, thus naturally possessing a disdainful mentality.

In contrast, human cultivators not only need to register and file for cultivation, but also need to pass a cultivation license exam.

At this grand gathering of aristocratic families, the four great human clans of Tianqing have come seeking permission to cultivate, specifically qualifications related to various forms of cultivation.

Chen Qingcang and his group were filled with anxiety, as the one-month deadline was fast approaching.

"I hope the young master and the young lady are safe and sound."

"Yes, I wonder how they are doing now?"

"Young Master is intelligent and exceptionally talented; he will definitely not be in any trouble."

"For some reason, I have a bad feeling."

······

The Chen family's senior members whispered among themselves, filled with worry.

Chen Qingcang closed his eyes and focused his mind, ignoring the surrounding discussions.

But his hands, hidden behind his sleeves, were always clenched into fists, betraying his inner unease.

The patriarchs of the Zhang, Tang, and Li families stood relaxed, heads held high, their posture casual.

They had already pledged allegiance to the Beastmaster Clan, so naturally they had no need to worry about the clan's members.

With the Xiangshou family backing them up, what kind of trouble could possibly arise?

hum-

Just then, the wind and clouds suddenly rose between heaven and earth, and a deafening buzzing sound resounded throughout the land!

Everyone looked up in astonishment, gazing at the high, empty sky.

A colossal, black ship, hundreds of meters long, slowly emerged from the sea of ​​clouds!

The ship's hull was decorated with flowing dark gold cloud and thunder patterns, and its gilded trim was solemn and majestic. It exuded a heavy pressure, making all the living beings in the city feel as if they were being crushed by a giant mountain, unable to breathe.

At the very center of the ship stands a complete six-story palace, with flying eaves covered in glazed tiles, jade steps and vermilion doors, its scale magnificent and its presence imposing.

The giant ship stood suspended in mid-air, with no wind around it, yet it seemed as if a clear bell was ringing softly. In the stillness, its supreme majesty aweeded all around.

"Heavens! Where did this Dharma boat come from?"

Someone gasped in shock, their face turning deathly pale.

In the minds of cultivators, a vessel tens of meters long is called a Dharma boat, a vessel hundreds of meters long is called a Dharma ship, and a vessel thousands of meters long is called a Dharma warship!

What's flying in now is—a French ship!

Under the oppressive force of the magic ship, many human beings felt short of breath and their faces flushed red as they looked up at the sky in fear.

Even Chen Qingcang opened his eyes, looked up at the sky, and couldn't help but squint slightly as he fully exerted his senses to investigate.

"Father, something terrible has happened! It's the Prefect's private imperial vessel!"

On one side, Chen Guohai, dressed in the robes of the Grand Master of the Wuxiang Sect, recognized the origin of the Dharma Ship, and his expression instantly darkened.

Lord Fu Cheng!

Upon hearing these four words, all the senior members of the Chen family became solemn, a heavy weight hanging over their hearts, filled with unease.

The visitor was the superior of Tianqing County, from Wangdong Prefecture.

Although the Prefectural Magistrate's rank is lower than that of the Prefectural Lord, he is the undisputed second-in-command of Wangdong Prefecture.

Why did he suddenly come here?

Chen Qingcang frowned, muttering to himself, a strong sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"Could it be that they came specifically to guard against trouble from my Chen family?"

Jiang Shangwu, standing beside him, spoke with a solemn expression.

"If they hadn't deliberately framed my Chen family's prodigy, why would we have rebelled? Hmph, they've clearly gone too far!"

Chen Qingcang's eyes blazed with anger, and his tone was full of resentment.

He knew perfectly well that this prefectural official had been invited by Niu Sengru, and his purpose was all too obvious.

The goal is to prevent him from taking risks and causing chaos in Tianqing County!

Wow!

At this moment, more and more people in the square recognized the identity of the French ship, and the crowd immediately stirred up a commotion.

At this moment, in the void, five majestic figures stood on the deck of a Dharma boat, led by Prefect Niu Sengru and assisted by Prefect Gou Zongdao, followed by a group of subordinates and clan members.

They all bowed respectfully towards the empty Dharma ship, saying, "Welcome, Prefect Song!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in another wave of excitement!

Everyone bowed and worshipped!

The other three powerful families also dared not be negligent.

Only the members of the Chen family, their eyes slightly narrowed, remained standing upright, without bending their knees.

The Void Ship came to a steady stop, and the world seemed to suddenly darken!

On the deck, figures were scattered about, their backs to the dim light of the sky. Those below could not see their faces clearly, but they could feel that the figures stood between light and shadow, exuding an arrogant air of looking down on all living beings.

"I was passing through this place when I heard that Tianqing County was holding a grand examination for aristocratic families, so I brought some disciples from Wangdong Academy to join in the fun."

A dignified middle-aged male voice slowly rang out.

The crowd on the ground erupted in cheers once again.

Wangdong University?

Many people gasped, revealing expressions of envy.

To be able to enter Wangdong University and become a student is an unparalleled source of pride.

His future achievements will surely make him a giant in the field.

Chen Qingcang frowned slightly, looked up, and saw a man in a dark blue official robe and wearing an official hat walking out from the center of the deck.

As soon as he appeared, everyone on the deck bowed deeply, showing the utmost respect.

"Song Tianwen, Prefectural Magistrate of Wangdong Prefecture."

Chen Qingcang whispered the other party's identity, his voice soft, yet it reached Song Tianwen's ears.

Song Tianwen lowered his eyes and looked down, his deep gaze meeting Chen Qingcang's directly.

hum!

Two gazes clashed across the distance, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, causing the temperature to plummet!

Song Tianwen had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, and looked like a dignified middle-aged man.

He actually nodded slightly to Chen Qingcang, then looked away and turned to look at Niu Sengru.

"Lord Niu, there's no need for such formalities. I'm just passing through. You may proceed as usual."

Upon hearing the gentle words, Niu Sengru's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied respectfully, "With Lord Song's arrival, this humble official will naturally do his best to be a good host. I hope that you will do me the honor of visiting."

Gou Zongdao, Sun Chengzong, Qi Boheng, Lu Sidao and others also stepped forward, either to report on official business or to suggest hosting a banquet to welcome him, but Song Tianwen politely declined them all.

He was only there to observe; he had other important business to attend to and would leave immediately after the conference ended.

Niu Sengru and the others had no choice but to stand respectfully on the deck of their own Dharma boat.

When facing high-ranking officials in the prefectural city, the prefectural governor is ultimately inferior; as the saying goes, "a higher-ranking official can crush a lower-ranking one."

The arrival of Song Tianwen completely changed the previously relaxed atmosphere, making it extremely tense.

No one dared to speak loudly; they could only exchange glances.

Niu Sengru leaned closer to Gou Zongdao, squinted, and asked in a low voice, "Lord Gou, was this Lord Song also invited by you?"

Gou Zongdao smiled faintly: "Exactly."

Why did they do this?

Niu Sengru looked puzzled.

"To guard against an attack from the Chen family."

Gou Zongdao narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile confident.

"Does Chen Qingcang really dare to cause trouble?"

Niu Sengru did not believe it.

"In the past, if eighty or even ninety percent of the Chen family members were lost, Chen Qingcang would have just swallowed his anger."

A sinister glint flashed in Gou Zongdao's eyes. "But things are different now. Chen Yuan and Chen Zhaoning are both caught in the crossfire. They are his most beloved grandchildren. If anything happens to them, Chen Qingcang will definitely go completely mad."

"Moreover, this time we plan to kill all the members of the Chen family, strip their family of ten years of cultivation qualifications, and cut off their livelihoods such as alchemy and cultivation of spiritual herbs and medicines."

"Cutting off someone's offspring, cutting off their future, and taking away their livelihood—these three blows combined would be unbearable for anyone."

After hearing these words, Niu Sengru's expression hardened, and he had to admit that what the other party said made sense.

"Lord Gou's considerations are thorough, and his actions are excellent."

He gave Gou Zongdao a deep look, secretly marveling at how meticulously this man had planned every step of the way.

From tampering with the teleportation array, to having Huang Ting Daoist hidden among the family members, and hiring powerful assassins from outside... and then, bringing in Song Tianwen to keep things under control!

"Next, we await the arrival of our disciples."

Gou Zongdao chuckled lightly, "Hehe, as for the Chen family members, they are sure to die this time."

Niu Sengru nodded slightly, feeling that the overall situation was settled.