Swordholder

Tianqing County.

The Chen family's ancestral home.

A sea of ​​blue clouds surges, towering peaks stand tall, the Five Finger Peak and the eighteen peaks of Lingxi are shrouded in spiritual energy, and ancient trees are lush and verdant.

High in the sky, an invisible phantom streaked across the sky.

Chen Qingcang concealed his aura, his figure soaring like a falcon across the sky, circling repeatedly in the sky around Five Finger Peak, and then skimming over the sea of ​​clouds atop the eighteen peaks of Lingxi.

His sharp gaze swept over every array point and every spiritual vein in the clan's territory, and a look of satisfaction gradually spread across his eyes.

He flew low over the area, making several trips, thoroughly surveying the layout, barriers, and spiritual essence of the entire Chen family estate.

Finally landing high in the sky, looking down at the vast and boundless land below, my thoughts surged.

"In the next ten years, there will be no official restrictions on the number of practitioners in my Chen family."

Chen Qingcang remained calm and secretly calculated, "The Tang, Li, and Zhang families have failed in the assessment conference and are subject to regulations by the imperial court, which limits their development. This is the perfect opportunity for my Chen family to rise against the odds and monopolize the cultivation fortune of Tianqing County!"

The wind swept across the sky, causing his robes to flutter loudly. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, filled with an unwavering determination to succeed.

"With ten years of development, the foundation of my Chen family will surely become more and more solid, and it will be no difficult task to protect tens of thousands of ordinary people again."

He looked up at the sky.

The blazing sun was shrouded in a thick layer of gray-black turbidity, as if covered by a dark veil.

The sunlight was dim and weak, and the scattered spiritual energy was mixed and murky.

A sense of melancholy crept into his heart, and he sighed softly, "It's a pity that the world has changed, and the spiritual energy of the sunlight is no longer pure."

"Even though the clan's spiritual rice can barely adapt to this environment, the spiritual energy is still mixed with impurities, so the yield per mu cannot be improved."

After a moment, he suppressed his regret and his gaze returned to calm: "However, in chaotic times, it is already a great fortune to be able to eat spiritual rice, far better than ordinary people eating tree bark and roots, or even being corrupted and dying by demonic spiritual power."

"Our Chen family will do everything in our power to protect the people in this area. How long they live is their fate, and ultimately, human effort cannot defy it..."

As he finished speaking, a complex mix of emotions and melancholy flashed across his eyes. The helplessness of the chaotic world and the constraints of being a cultivator intertwined in his heart.

In an instant, all his complicated expressions vanished, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, piercing through layers of clouds and rapidly descending towards the summit of Middle Finger Peak.

The moment my feet touched the ground, a strange sense of palpitation suddenly seized my mind, and an inexplicable chill ran down my spine and through my entire body.

Something is wrong!

Chen Qingcang's brows furrowed suddenly, and his expression instantly became as solemn as iron.

He spent half his life cultivating himself, his mind and spirit refined, and he was always keenly aware of good fortune and misfortune.

This sudden unease stems from Chen Zhaoning's last runaway from home.

His right eyelid twitched uncontrollably, the thumping rhythm striking his heart, making him increasingly anxious.

"Could something have happened to a younger member of the clan?"

He murmured in a deep voice, his aura suddenly becoming heavy and solid, as if the void itself was slightly frozen.

"Palace Master Jiang!"

A deep sound echoed from the mountaintop.

In the distance, amidst the palace complex, a figure burst forth from the sky with lightning speed, arriving at the summit in an instant, his posture upright and his expression respectful.

"Master!"

Jiang Shangwu clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed, awaiting orders.

"Is A-Yuan doing well in Tianshan County these days?"

Chen Qingcang's gaze was deep and serious, his eyes concealing an undisguised worry.

All the younger generations of the Chen family stayed in the clan to cultivate in seclusion, except for Chen Zhaoning and Chen Yuan who went out to gain experience.

Chen Zhaoning went to Wangdong Prefecture City. With her aunt Chen Xiaoying taking care of her, she should be fine.

Chen Yuan, however, went alone to Tianshan County to join the Wuxiang Sect, which was led by a vicious leader. Even though Chen Qingtian was secretly protecting him, the place was turbulent and full of dangers, which made him uneasy.

"Reporting to the patriarch, the Second Master has sent word that he has returned to the clan. The Young Master's life is not in danger, but..."

Jiang Shangwu paused, his expression suddenly becoming strange and complicated, and his tone became hesitant.

"Please feel free to speak!"

Chen Qingcang's heart tightened, his unease intensifying, and he urged in a deep voice.

Jiang Shangwu composed himself and immediately recounted all the intelligence he had gathered.

Chen Yuan launched a powerful attack in Tianshan County, successively killing several captains of the Yang family's guardians and incumbent directors, and finally annihilated the entire Yang family with lightning speed!

Even in the case of the murder of all the high-ranking members of the Xu family in Tianshan County, based on clues from intelligence, it can be inferred that the young master was also deeply involved.

"Wh...what?!"

Chen Qingcang's body jolted violently, and he turned around abruptly, his eyes wide open!

He stared at Jiang Shangwu with a look of utter astonishment and disbelief.

His calm and confident expression froze, and a huge wave surged in his heart!

"Is everything you said... absolutely true?"

His voice trembled slightly, and his breathing suddenly became labored.

"Absolutely true!"

Jiang Shangwu nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with lingering shock.

"Xu Zhilong of the Xu family intends to promote his young master to the position of director, but the young master's superior, Sima Ling'en, publicly makes things difficult for him, declaring that there is no place for the young master..."

At this point, Jiang Shangwu's expression turned strange, and he continued, "But the young master said that if Ma Ling'en stepped aside, there would be a seat?"

Chen Qingcang's pupils contracted sharply, his throat tightened, and he asked in a deep, deliberate voice, "He...he killed Ma Ling'en?"

Jiang Shangwu nodded solemnly: "Yes."

In an instant, Chen Qingcang's mind went blank, and he blurted out, "He dared to kill his superior? How are we going to handle this? The Tianshan authorities will never tolerate him!"

"He's leveraging this opportunity!"

Jiang Shangwu's eyes gleamed with excitement, his tone full of admiration, "Xu Zhilong wanted to use the young master to balance the various forces, and the young master went along with it, using the Xu family's power to establish himself!"

"At the same time, by leveraging Lord Yang's influence, we will publicly declare that he is Lord Yang's man and has a personal letter of appointment from Lord Yang, thus having a special mission..."

At this point, Jiang Shangwu's eyes gleamed brightly. "Patriarch, the young master has been using every available means to his advantage, proceeding with meticulous planning. Every impulsive killing he committed was preceded by a carefully considered escape route!"

After saying this, Chen Qingcang held his breath and stared blankly for a moment before exhaling a heavy breath, his chest trembling.

"Haha, good, good lad! What a clever use of leverage, a well-thought-out plan!"

Chen Qingcang suddenly burst into laughter, all the surprise in his eyes vanished, replaced by intense excitement and burning passion!

His back straightened unconsciously, and his entire demeanor became relaxed and confident.

"Hahaha! As expected of the Chen family's prodigy!"

Not only are they brave and daring, but they also know how to use the situation to escape!

After his initial elation, he quickly pressed for the crucial question, "So, A-Yuan won't get into trouble this time, and will instead be safe and sound?"

"Nothing happened at all!"

Jiang Shangwu's eyes gleamed, and his tone became increasingly excited. "Young Master has uncovered the traitor hidden by the Swordholder and made a great contribution. With the strong support of Prefect Zhu Xin, he has already submitted a memorial requesting commendation!"

Now that he has established himself in Tianshan County, the position of Grand Commander of Wuxiang is just around the corner!

"The Grand Master of No Form?!"

Chen Qingcang was suddenly stunned, his expression filled with disbelief.

"Indeed! Prefect Zhu Xin of Tianshan County has officially submitted his request for commendation to the prefectural city."

They even used the power of her family to help the young master ascend to the position of Grand Master of the Formless Realm.

Before he finished speaking, the ecstasy on Chen Qingcang's face vanished abruptly, and his expression turned cold and gloomy at a visible speed.

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he instantly understood the source of his earlier anxiety!

One move, and the whole board is in turmoil!

Chen Yuan's sudden rise to prominence and his sharp edge are bound to touch a nerve with the Da Xiang government!

The authorities may not want the Chen family to have two officials at the level of senior director.

Just like Chen Guoshan back then, he was clearly qualified to be the prefect, but he was killed.

"not good!"

Chen Qingcang's thoughts raced, and he instantly broke out in a cold sweat!

Chen Yuan's rapid growth is both a good thing and a bad thing!

The more you show your talent, the more likely you are to attract the attention of the big shots above you!

Jiang Shangwu saw Chen Qingcang's expression change drastically and was immediately filled with doubt.

Isn't it a good thing that Chen Yuan has established himself in Tianshan County?

Suddenly, Chen Qingcang grabbed Jiang Shangwu's shoulder and asked urgently, "Where's my second son? Where's my second son?"

Jiang Shangwu felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that the second brother Chen Qingcang was referring to was Chen Guohai.

He immediately replied, "The Second Young Master is currently at Cloudfall Mountain, in charge of investigating the root cause of the evil spirits and disasters."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Qingcang's face turned completely ashen. Without saying another word, he suddenly leaped off the mountaintop.

boom!

The spiritual energy beneath his feet exploded with a roar, and the strong wind shattered the surrounding clouds and mist. His figure transformed into a crimson afterimage, instantly breaking through the sky!

In an instant, it shrank into a tiny black dot on the horizon and sped away through the air.

At the summit, Jiang Shangwu stared blankly at the suddenly disappearing streak of light, his face full of confusion and bewilderment.

He frowned and pondered for a moment, then a thunderbolt struck his mind, and he suddenly understood!

"Oh no! Someone's trying to kill the Second Young Master!"

Before he finished speaking, his expression changed drastically. Without further hesitation, he sprang into action and hurriedly chased after the fleeing enemy, quickly preparing to provide reinforcements.

······

Clouds break over the mountains.

On the site of Chen Yuan's bloody battle, a giant crater has appeared at the top of the mountain, with black mist swirling around the bottom and a sinister aura.

Even after many days, the forest still retained a strong smell of blood and murderous intent that lingered for a long time.

Every now and then, rotting, blackened corpses would crawl out of the silt at the bottom of the pit.

These rotting corpses emitted sharp howls as they wandered aimlessly through the mountains and forests.

If they encounter any living creature, they will relentlessly pursue and kill it.

Chen Guohai, along with a group of Chen family's Wuxiang Guard disciples and trusted subordinates, has been stationed on this mountain for half a month to investigate.

Scattered bones, broken remains, and rotting corpses lay buried layer upon layer among the weeds and rubble.

As everyone examined the evidence closely, a chill ran through them.

The deaths of the scions of various prominent families who participated in the assessment were not caused by evil spirits at all.

Instead, he was brutally killed!

The countless bones had clean, sharp cuts, indicating they had been cleaved and torn apart by heavy weapons.

Many more corpses were completely shattered, with bone fragments flying everywhere, as they were violently blasted apart by the raging and boundless energy!

"These signs of battle... must be the work of A Yuan's black halberd and that golden greatbow!"

Chen Guohai bent down and stared at the scattered bones on the ground, his voice low and hoarse, his eyes filled with solemnity.

Beside him, his cousin Chen Guodong's expression suddenly hardened, and his whole body tensed up.

He is Chen Qingtian's son and holds the position of Director of the Wuxiang Division. He is known for his composure and competence and is Chen Guohai's most capable right-hand man.

"Brother Hai, the traces here are too glaring. We must destroy all the remains immediately and leave no evidence that could harm the young master!"

"That's right."

Chen Guohai nodded decisively and immediately gave a deep order, commanding everyone to clean up and destroy the remains.

On the surface, the group's mission was to investigate the source of the evil spirits and disasters that plagued Yunduan Mountain.

Secretly, this was to erase the traces of Chen Yuan's past killings and prevent future troubles.

Once all the wreckage had been burned away and all traces were cleared, the group stopped and stood up, about to turn around and return home... when suddenly, a series of light footsteps echoed from the deep, dense forest all around!

rustling, rustling...

The footsteps were dense and orderly, without any attempt to conceal them, carrying a chilling and murderous aura, closing in from all directions.

Behind each ancient tree, dozens of figures dressed in black emerged one after another!

Their aura was icy, their killing intent overwhelming, firmly locking down the entire mountain forest and sealing off all escape routes.

The four leading figures were none other than Niu Sengru, Gou Zongdao, Sun Wu, and Lu Sidao!

The four men stared intently at the person in the room with icy, piercing eyes, their faces contorted with malice and savagery.

Chen Guohai's gaze suddenly turned cold, and unease arose in his heart.

However, he still joked, "Hehe, the four of you gentlemen have quite the refined taste, coming here together to enjoy the scenery?"

"Screw your view, Chen Guohai! We've come here today to send you on your way!"

Lu Sidao couldn't hold back any longer and was the first to step forward, speaking ferociously, his murderous aura emanating from him.