Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

"Duanmu Yan, it's the Duanmu Yan who destroyed the Panxing Sect!"

"Spare me! Please spare me! I don't want to die!"

"Master, Master of the Jibi family, we were forced into this! Please say something for us!!"

Cries for mercy surged in from all directions, wave after wave.

Duanmu Yan stood in the center of the flames, not looking at the people suspended in mid-air, nor at the Zhibi people.

Zen Temple Fan broke free from the fire net. There were two other people beside him, Bing's other two members, both of whom were first-level magicians.

The three stood back to back in the only corner of the inferno, their blades pointing outwards.

Zen Temple Fan stared intently at Duanmu Yan, his eyes blazing with fury.

He had meticulously planned this for years; tonight was supposed to be his coronation night.

But all the changes are due to this person in front of me, this person with a different surname.

"What right does an outsider have to interfere in the affairs of our Zen Temple family!" Zen Temple Fan roared, his magical power surging as he charged forward, his blade aimed straight at Duanmu Yan.

Two other level-one mages followed closely behind, the three figures forming a triangular pincer attack.

They didn't believe the gap was as big as rumored. So what if they were top-tier? The three of them were all first-tier.

Duanmu Yan casually waved his hand.

A fiery unicorn leaped from the blade, its four hooves treading on flames, its mane burning into a white-gold arc in the fire.

The fire qilin met the three's charge. The Zen Temple Fan's long sword melted the moment it touched the fire qilin. The blade vaporized from the tip, and the steel flowed down his arm like water.

He tried to back away, but the flames had already engulfed him, from bottom to top, until finally reaching his face, which was filled with resentment and hatred.

The two level-one mages crashed into the afterglow of the fire unicorn at the same time, without even having time to scream.

In an instant, the three figures vanished completely.

Zhibi closed his eyes when the battle began. He did not witness his old subordinates being entangled in the fire net, nor did he witness his younger brother being swallowed by the fire qilin.

But when he heard the final roar of the Zen temple fan, he opened his eyes but said nothing.

In the corner, Zenji Naoya laughed so hard his shoulders were shaking. His eyes never left Duanmu Yan, his pupils glowing frighteningly bright in the firelight.

This power, this overwhelming power that forbids even resistance, is what he yearns for.

If I had that kind of power, would you at least give me a second glance?

He licked his lips, repeating the name Duanmu Yan over and over in his mind several times.

The domain was dispelled, and the flames receded from mid-air, flowing back into Duanmu Yan's palm like receding seawater.

There were no scorch marks or ashes in the courtyard, but the courtyard that was just full of people was now only occupied by the dozens of direct descendants behind the Zhibi people.

Hundreds of figures vanished without a trace, not even ashes remained.

Half of the Zen family's fighting force was directly neutralized that night.

The survivors stood in the empty courtyard, no one spoke. Some people's legs were still trembling, and some people's hands were still gripping the knife, the tip of the knife striking the stone slab with a faint tremor.

They had just witnessed what a top-tier power was—it was the power to destroy a nation.

The silence was broken by a voice. "Tonight's meeting was only announced to members of the head of the family. How did Zenin Sen know about it?"

All eyes immediately fell on Zenji Naoya, the only one who was not openly affiliated with the head of the family.

Naoya leaned against the pillar, facing dozens of gazes directed at him, but merely tilted his chin back slightly, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

Zenji Naohito didn't look at his son. His gaze passed over all the direct descendants standing in front of him and landed behind them, on the white-haired figure who had been hiding in the deepest part of the room since the start of the battle and hadn't moved at all.

"I didn't expect this, Elder." The Jivi's voice was more weary than when he was arranging the battle, and there was something else mixed in with the weariness. "You were one of the first people to support me."

The others stepped aside to make way for a passage.

At the end of the passage, the old man stood hunched over, his cloudy eyes darting around in their deep-set sockets.

"Heh, I can only blame myself for being blind. Why did I choose you instead of Shan to be the head of the family?"

A young man stepped forward from the ranks of the direct descendants, his voice trembling: "How can you speak of the patriarch like that! Under the patriarch's leadership, internal disputes within the family have clearly decreased. Can't you see that?!"

The old man suddenly raised his eyes, his eyes burning with two cold flames in their deep-set sockets: "A knife that has never seen blood will never be sharpened. Fewer disputes? That's weakness! He has turned your generation into sheep... Such a Zen master could not be any greater."

Duanmu Yan leaned against a pillar and couldn't help but laugh. "A family that is too decadent is destined to be submerged by the torrent of time."

Zenji Naokiji remained silent for a long time, then sighed, "That's it..."

He lowered his gaze and said to the old man, "Would you like to come by yourself, or should I give you a ride?"

The old man did not allow anyone to do anything.

Zhibi didn't see that scene. He turned around, his back to everyone, and said, "Notify all family members that Zen-in Fan gathered hundreds of people to plot a rebellion. It has been suppressed, the ringleader has been executed, and the remaining followers will not be pursued. A family meeting will be held tomorrow. All branch managers and above must attend. Those who are absent will be removed from the family register."

Chapter 153 Encirclement and Kill of Duanmu Yan

Council Chamber of Elders.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows on the wall, and the long table was filled with people on both sides.

The news of the upheaval in the Zen family reached headquarters in less than two hours, and everyone present was waiting for the Grand Elder to speak.

"Zen Temple Fan had the upper hand, with hundreds surrounding dozens of people, and the victory was almost a certainty." The Grand Elder put down the urgent report in his hand on the table, his gaze darkening in the candlelight. "But now, Zen Temple Fan is dead. Can anyone tell me what exactly happened that night?"

After a moment of silence at the head of the table, a high-ranking official slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "Something must have happened to the Chan family that we don't know about! We provided so much funding and incantation tools to the Chan family, and now that he's dead, all those supplies have gone down the drain!"

Someone immediately chimed in, "This matter can't be left like this. The power of those people from the Higher Vocational School is too great now. We must firmly grasp the other two of the Big Three."

"The new head of the Kamo family is willing to talk to us. But the situation at the Zen-in Temple is completely ruined. What should we do next?"

The elder raised his hand, and the noise at the table gradually subsided.

He placed his hands on top of his cane. "In the entire country of Japan, only a Special Class can make hundreds of people disappear silently in just a few tens of minutes."

"Xia Youjie has been at the high school, within our surveillance range. Wu Tiao Wu's technique is extremely destructive, but according to reports from our informants, there has been no large-scale building damage at the Zenin family residence."

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over every face. "So there's only one target: Duanmu Yan."

That name was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

"It's him again! He's getting more and more outrageous!"

"Even the assistant supervisors below have a good impression of this person. If this continues, our authority will be completely destroyed!"

"Compared to that person from the Gojo family, Duanmu Yan is more dangerous. No matter how arrogant Gojo Satoru is, he is still the head of one of the three great families, and his actions are still traceable. Duanmu Yan acts without any scruples... You still remember the Panxing Sect incident, right?"

"We shouldn't have let them get away with it two years ago! We should have gotten rid of this person back then..."

"Enough." The elder tapped his cane on the ground, and the council hall fell silent.

He slowly spoke: "I understand what you mean. We really can't let a sorcerer overpower us, so let's pool our strength and hunt down Duanmu Yan."

As soon as the words were spoken, the official who had slammed his fist on the table earlier hesitated.

He frowned and lowered his voice, asking, "What if we fail? Wouldn't our situation be even more dangerous then?"

The elder's eyes flickered in the candlelight. He raised his head, his gaze passing over the dome of the council hall and landing on the indistinct darkness above.

"No, we have accumulated wealth over thousands of years. I will find you outside help."

……

2009 7 Month 1 Day.

Atsuya Kusakabe stood nervously in a side hall of the elders' council chamber, with Principal Rakuganji standing beside him.

Something's not right here. Not only him and Leyan Temple, but Mingming is here too, along with several first-level sorcerers he knows. Two of them are veterans who have been stationed in Kyoto for many years, and one was urgently recalled from Kyushu.

And the man standing at the very front, the one hailed as the strongest level one mage, was also there.

Eight levels, Kusakabe counted in his mind.

What's going on here? Are they planning a small-scale war?

Instead of sending so many first-level missions, wouldn't it be better to just send a special-level mission?

Duanmu Yan is often on missions, and although Wutiao Wu is lazy, he will move when called.

Moreover, there has been no news of any special-grade cursed spirits being born recently.

He didn't understand at all.

"Ahem. Thank you all for your help." The Grand Elder, supported by a young female secretary, walked to the chair in front of everyone and slowly sat down.

Leyan Temple stood upright, his cane tucked behind his back. As the most senior person present, he spoke first: "Elder, what important matter has brought you here, summoning the eight of us first-level sorcerers?"

The elder smiled and said, "It's really nothing serious. I just want everyone to agree to a promise that you will absolutely not reveal what you're about to hear."

Kusakabe swallowed hard, a bad feeling creeping up his spine.

But everyone around him raised their hands, and one by one, they bound him, so he had no choice but to follow suit.

After everyone finished signing the restraints, the Grand Elder nodded and then said, "The reason for summoning you all today is to issue a top-level mission: eliminate the curse master Duanmu Yan."

Kusakabe's hands froze. "I'm going to fight Duanmu Yan? Really?!"

Thinking back to the last time he faced this person, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The Grand Elder's gaze swept over everyone: "Does anyone else have any questions?"

Mingming was the first to raise her hand. "I'm sorry, Elder, I can't take this job no matter how much money I get. The enemy is a top-tier enemy, and they clearly control the domain. The risk is too great."

"No need to worry." The elder raised his hand, and the female secretary behind him brought out a tray covered with a black cloth.

The black cloth was lifted, revealing a dark golden talisman. The incantation was densely packed, like countless worms wriggling on the paper.

"For this operation, I will give you a top-grade spell artifact. As long as you use it the moment he sets up his domain, you can seal it. Once the domain is sealed, he will be trapped in a spell meltdown, and at that time, you can make your move."

Mingming looked at the talisman, a mysterious smile appearing on her face, and took a half-step back: "I understand. But about the price..."

"After it's done, each person will receive 100 million."

The room fell silent for a moment. One hundred million—that number weighed heavily on everyone's abacus.

Kusakabe opened his mouth; he didn't want to fight.

No matter how much money you offer, it's outrageous to offer to fight a top-tier opponent.

He would rather exterminate ten level-one cursed spirits than face Duanmu Yan.