Chapter 88

Speaking truthfully.

The appearance of the Wang Clan's patriarch, and moreover appearing with Golden Core cultivation base, already exceeded everyone's expectations.

Although the Wang Clan previously monopolized the Riverside Market, being a family of considerable strength in the Qingyu Domain, the Wang Clan's patriarch was only at late Foundation Establishment.

Facing a Foundation Establishment family, the Qingzong Sect naturally would not be wary.

But if the Wang Clan's patriarch successfully reaches Golden Core, the Wang Clan absolutely cannot remain peacefully in the Qingyu Domain.

This has nothing to do with whether the Qingzong Sect is broad-minded; how can one allow others to snore beside one's bed? A Golden Core family will absolutely become a thorn in the Qingzong Sect's side.

No, the Qingzong Sect also absolutely will not allow a Golden Core family to appear within the Qingyu Domain.

"Using the pretext of the market's destruction to achieve a breakthrough in realm? This old fellow hides his depth truly."

Yunhe, slowly approaching the edge of the formation, immediately understood; the earlier Riverside Market riot was likely staged by the Wang Clan's patriarch himself.

Why not break through outside the Qingyu Domain? Moreover, if the Qingzong Sect believed the Wang Clan's patriarch could break through to Golden Core, they would absolutely not allow him to go to the Riverside Market, so far from the Qingzong Sect.

Bold!

Before Yunhe could even comprehend, a sudden change erupted among the three Golden Core cultivators.

The Wang Clan's patriarch and the Zou Clan's patriarch suddenly launched an attack, joining forces to strike at the Blood Ritual, interrupting Yunhe's thoughts.

Not only him, but all the cultivators present were stunned.

He was astonished in his heart.

Wasn't it supposed to be the Wang Clan's patriarch and the Blood Ritual besieging the Zou Clan?

How did it suddenly turn into the Wang Clan's patriarch and the Zou Clan's patriarch cooperating, launching a sudden attack to kill the Blood Ritual?

Do the two have a secret connection?

Or have they reached some kind of deal?

Yunhe does not believe that a mere marriage alliance could make two Golden Core cultivators join forces.

Suddenly!

He suddenly recalled that two days ago, when he and Huang Ling arrived, the person sent by the Zou Clan to greet them had arrived.

"So, the Zou Clan had long been prepared? The formation being broken was merely to make the Blood Ritual reveal a flaw?"

The sudden change caused everyone to halt their actions.

Above.

The Zou Clan's patriarch and the Wang Clan's patriarch stood side by side in the air.

Before the Zou Clan's patriarch hovered a blazing fire pearl, burning with a flickering intense flame—this was his signature treasure, the Southern Bright Separation Fire Pearl!

In the Wang Clan's patriarch's hand, he grasped a pitch-black great banner, upon which swirled thick black qi.

These black qi, intertwining and coiling, actually outlined the shape of a rat-like demonic beast.

Treasure, Beast Soul Banner!

On the other side.

Old... ancestor?

Wang Jinglan looked at the suddenly appearing ancestor, for a moment not knowing what to say, all words seeming to stick in their throat.

But for some unknown reason, although the ancestor had reappeared and even formed a Golden Core, becoming a bona fide Golden Core powerhouse, she could not feel any joy or excitement in her heart, only a deep sorrow.

Quite evident.

She also understood that the day's market riot was probably just a play.

But the cost of this play was also too great.

Jinglan!

At that moment, a voice broke through her complex inner emotions.

Following the sound, upon seeing the person arrive, Wang Jinglan showed astonishment, stammering:

Big... Uncle?

Wang Wen appeared here in a very disheveled state, even somewhat unkempt, which Wang Jinglan had not expected.

During the market riot back then, she even once thought that Uncle Wang Wen had brought outsiders to break the market's great formation, thereby causing the Wang Clan's foundation to be destroyed in an instant.

Because back then the Wang Clan's main branch and second branch vied for control of the market, the main branch ultimately lost, and Wang Wen even flung his cup and left during the family meeting, after which he disappeared from the Wang Clan.

But who would have thought that he would actually be encountered in the Zou Clan.

Hurry up and go!

But Wang Wen, without a word, grabbed Wang Jinglan and ran with a stern face toward an inconspicuous corner of the formation.

Why... why?" Wang Jinglan did not understand.

But the answer obtained was merely——

The ancestor has gone mad!

Gone mad?

Seeing Wang Jinglan not only disbelieve but also shake off their hand, appearing unwilling to leave, Wang Wen had no choice but to make a long story short:

Back then, the ancestor ordered me to secretly leave the market under the pretext of failing in the struggle for power, saying the Wang Clan might face great calamity, commanding me to go to the Zou Clan to seek aid, at the very least to let me continue the Wang Clan's bloodline.

As he spoke, Wang Wen's face was filled with deep bitterness.

Before departure, your grandfather quietly found me and left only a sentence: 'If the Wang Clan undergoes turmoil and he disappears without trace, then it means the ancestor has gone mad.'

Wang Jinglan's grandfather, who is also Wang Wen's father, was the head of the Wang Clan at that time, likewise a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator.

Grandfather.

Wang Jinglan's pupils constricted as they recalled their grandfather.

Although he was flirtatious in his youth and fathered twenty-three children, the impression he left on Wang Jinglan was that of a kind and benevolent elder.

At the same time, it was precisely because he fathered so many children that the Wang Clan could branch out and proliferate.

If it was what that grandfather said, Wang Jinglan believed it to some extent.

He couldn't help but start running after Wang Wen.

But he still said aloud:

"Then why, Uncle?"

"When I arrived at the Zou Clan, I secretly met the Zou Clan Ancestor. He was initially very friendly, but after seeing the storage pouch the Ancestor had me deliver, he imprisoned me! Until today, the Zou Clan's great formation was damaged, and the dungeon's barrier was also affected, so I managed to escape."

At this moment, Wang Wen's appearance, along with the unmistakable stench on him, proved that everything he said was true.

Moreover, for Wang Wen, there was no need to deceive Wang Jinglan, because he would gain nothing.

What puzzled Wang Jinglan was that

"Why?"

Indeed, why?

Regarding this question, Wang Wen didn't know how to answer.

He merely said something that didn't quite fit:

"Do you know why your grandfather married so many women and fathered so many offspring?"

Without waiting for Wang Jinglan to respond, Wang Wen's hoarse voice continued:

"These marriages, aside from your grandfather's primary wife—who is my mother—were all arranged by the Ancestor."

"Ancestor arranged?"

"Wasn't it to let the Wang Clan spread its branches?"

Wang Jinglan's voice trembled a bit; she vaguely entertained a rather ominous suspicion.

It's not just Wang Jinglan's grandfather.

Isn't Wang Wen's generation also full of offspring?

"But aside from my mother, most of the others were married off within a year or two."

"A year or two?" Wang Jinglan stared blankly.

Naturally, she could not possibly know these matters.

"So, therefore…"

Beyond bitterness, Wang Wen's face also showed deep fear.

He took a deep breath, trembling as he voiced his conjecture.

"Blood Refinement Method!"

Yunhe suddenly thought of Wang Clan Village, where Steward Wang conducted a sacrificial refinement of the villagers to produce Blood Soul Pills.

"If…"

The thought rose in his mind, and Yunhe shivered violently.

"If the Wang Clan Ancestor were to sacrifice the entire Wang Clan to refine Blood Soul Pills, could it be possible?"

But what a crazy notion that is!

In fact, there are demonic cultivators who have performed such deeds.

For some extreme egoists,

Family?

Inheritance?

All of that is less important than advancing one's own Cultivation Base!

If one can form a pill, not to mention sacrificing the entire family, even adding a million souls is permissible!

The Zou Clan's formation is slowly disintegrating, yet its pace makes Yunhe and the other sect cultivators wonder why it is so slow!

"Friends, do not be anxious; my Zou Clan has no intention of opposing the sects. This action is truly forced. Once the dust settles, I, the old man, will visit each sect to apologize!"

Zou Changming's voice rang in the ears of every sect cultivator.

"Hoo—"

Huang Ling let out a slight sigh.

"This Zou Clan Ancestor is still sane."

If the Zou Clan wishes to remain, they certainly cannot annihilate all of them.

Otherwise, the Zou Clan could never bear the wrath of so many sects.

But merely pulling them in, using their presence and status to slightly impede the Blood Rite attack, makes the Blood Rite constrained by the sects' forces, which dare not act with full force and thus expose flaws. This exploitation, a cultivator who has formed a pill himself personally visited to present gifts and apologize, is just barely tolerable.

Of course, the premise is that the Wang Clan Ancestor must not act.

After all, the Wang Clan Ancestor's appearance now is tantamount to insulting the Qingzong Sect; in the Qingyu Domain, he simply cannot be tolerated.

But the world is vast; as a pill‑forming cultivator without family shackles, is there still fear of having nowhere to go?

Offending just one Qingzong Sect is not enough; offending the other sects as well, even as a pill‑forming cultivator, would be unbearable.

Such an unwise act, the Wang Clan Ancestor should at least have enough sense to see clearly.

Therefore, many cultivators present silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"Senior Brother Huang, it's still wiser to be cautious," Yunhe whispered as a reminder.

The Wang Clan Ancestor not attacking the other sect cultivators does not mean he won't strike those who are Qingzong Sect cultivators.

Moreover, the dense fog shrouding the Zou Clan formation had not dissipated.

"Hmm."

Huang Ling clearly had not fully relaxed his vigilance.

Anyway, Yunhe was already prepared; once the formation is lifted, run quickly!

It seemed intended to let the sect cultivators relax; Zou Changming bowed toward the Wang Clan Ancestor and said:

Fellow Daoist Wang, we agreed beforehand not to interfere with sect cultivators.

These few sentences were not concealed by divine sense; the latter became a divine-sense voice transmission.

"Of course, besides the Core Formation spiritual item given at the start, you also need to help me hunt a third-rank demon beast for this contract to be complete."

The Zou Clan Ancestor is four hundred years old, with at most a little over a hundred years left; he must plan for the Zou Clan's future.

In the storage bag that Wang Wen brought back then, besides the Core Formation spiritual item, there was also a contract with many restrictions.

Among them was a condition that after the Wang Clan Ancestor achieves Core Formation, he would help hunt a third-rank demon beast together.

It is precisely because of these that Zou Changming agreed to cooperate with the Wang Clan Ancestor.

The Wang Clan Ancestor revealed an somewhat unsightly smile and replied:

"This is natural; the power of the contract cannot be violated."

Zou Changming's expression relaxed slightly.

"Then that's good."

"However, this person is a Blood Sect cultivator, not so easy to kill."

As the Wang Clan Ancestor spoke, he again looked solemnly down at the dust below.

"Heh." But Zou Changming couldn't help chuckling, "My 'Nanming Li Fire Pearl' greatly counters demonic cultivators; otherwise, Fellow Daoist Wang, you wouldn't have come to me for help."

These words seem to show contempt for the Blood Gift, but they are also a threat to the Wang Clan Ancestor.

At this moment, the Wang Clan Ancestor is none other than a demonic cultivator.

"Still, be careful." The Wang Clan Ancestor seemed not to understand his meaning, or perhaps pretended not to, murmuring with a hint of depth.

"Also."

Zou Changming's expression also became a bit more solemn.

No matter what, at least he is a Core Formation cultivator.

Immediately, he hesitated not at all, formed hand seals, and poured his mana into the Nanming Li Fire Pearl.

Cry—

In an instant, a fire bird flew out of the pearl, smashing down like raindrops.

Booms rang continuously, firelight splashing.

The whole process lasted nearly five breaths.

But it stopped abruptly.

Then one saw.

Zou Changming in the air looked at the Wang Clan Ancestor with utter disbelief; there was a very tiny hole in his chest that pierced through his whole body.

"Ice Soul Soul Needle? Wang Pei, you, how dare you?"

Saying that, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood with a "wa", his figure blasted backward, opening distance.

But his aura weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The Wang Clan Ancestor waving the great banner dissatisfiedly smacked his lips.

"Old fogey, though old, your reaction speed is not slow."

"Wang Pei, you're crazy! You actually disregard the contract!"

Bang!!

Just as the words fell, Wang Clan Ancestor Wang Pei's body instantly burst into a blood mist, his aged body further vanishing under mysterious forces.

The physical body, completely vanished!

But the Wang Clan Ancestor's aura did not weaken in the slightest.

One saw that, at this moment, Wang Clan Ancestor Wang Pei's body was faintly visible, illusory and dreamlike, like a soul, vague and uncertain.

"Ghost cultivator!!"

Zou Changming shouted in astonishment.

"You actually switched to the ghost path, rather than blood-refining demon cultivation!"

Because of the contract restrictions, although he had some guard against the Wang Clan Ancestor, it was not much; his main attention was still on the Blood Gift.

Of course, there was also the reason that the Wang Clan Ancestor intentionally or unintentionally guided him.

Moreover, although the contract's content is to restrict the physical body, Core Formation cultivators can abandon their flesh and seize another body, but how much strength can be retained after possession?

Not to mention the huge loss to oneself from possession; only by finding a compatible body in a short time can one possibly restore Core Formation cultivation later.

The Wang Clan Ancestor finally achieved Core Formation with great difficulty; how could he possibly abandon his physical body?

But who would have thought, the Wang Clan Ancestor actually fell into the ghost path!

"Otherwise, how could I deceive you, this cunning old fogey?"

Only a soul remnant remained, and the Wang Clan Ancestor laughed sinisterly.

How many years did he spend planning this scheme?

To be honest, he himself can't even remember.

But the outcome seems to be good.

Whooo—

Zou City suddenly rolled up gusts of yin wind, and Zou Clan cultivators collapsed one after another.

If someone knew these Zou Clan cultivators, they would find that they are all descendants of unions between Wang Clan female cultivators and Zou Clan male cultivators.

Within their bodies, they likewise possess the Wang Clan bloodline.

Of course, among those who fell, there were also Wang Wen trying to flee, and Wang Jinglan and other Wang Clan remnants.

After the yin wind dissipated, the Wang Clan Ancestor's body actually became somewhat solid again.

He licked his lips.

"Thank you, Zou family, for helping my Wang clan prosper and multiply."

"This is not blood refining, but soul refining!"

"Using blood relations as a medium, these soul-extracting and soul-refining techniques have the smallest side effects."

""Blood Dao friend, if not now, then when!""

"The sect cultivators, who had originally been somewhat lax, now felt another wave of shock and turmoil in their hearts."

"The rapid changes in the situation left them overwhelmed."

"This chapter is 4k characters."

"(End of chapter)"