Chapter 264: The Death-Bringing Needle (Requesting Moon Tickets)

Xiao Yuan Mountain is located in the central-southern part of Yunzhou, thousands of li from Mu Family's Mount Mount Baihua.

Within this mountain lies a small spiritual stone vein!

Though small, it yields a million-level output of spiritual stones annually, occasionally producing mid-grade stones—making it a vital source of wealth for the Mu family.

Long ago, to seize this vein, Mu Mu Wansheng led Mu Mu Qinglan in annihilating three Golden Core factions, finally securing firm control of the mountain.

But now that the Mu family shows signs of decline, immediate greed has arisen.

On Xiao Yuan Mountain, within the mine tunnels, countless light screens surged into the sky, forming a massive black tortoise-shell formation.

It is the third-rank—Xuan Gui Array!

This array abandons all offensive, illusionary, and teleportation techniques, relying solely on astonishing defense.

Even a late-stage Golden Core cultivator would struggle to break through in a short time.

At the array's core sat an aged Daoist, none other than Mu Family's sole Golden Core cultivator here—Mu Wanda.

"The enemy has three Golden Core cultivators, roughly mid-stage…"

"The alarm flight talisman has already been sent to the family…"

"Sigh… I only hope we can drive them off."

Now, Mu Wanda no longer dared hope to kill them—just driving them away and showing off Mu Family's strength would be enough to thank heaven and earth.

At that moment, Mu Wanda's expression hardened as he saw three strange lights hurtling toward him: "Alert… they've returned!"

The three Golden Core cultivators were all hidden within thick mist, concealing their forms.

One roared, and a cluster of yellow-red flame emerged, forming a strange beast with four legs that sprinted forward, leveling hills and ravines as it charged straight at the turtle-shell array.

Boom!

The third-rank array trembled slightly, but the flame-beast exploded into a shower of sparks.

Another streak of light landed on the ground, and countless earth-yellow talismans were driven into the earth veins—clearly observing terrain to find the Xuan Gui Array's weaknesses.

The third remained hidden in the mist, rarely acting.

"Three Golden Core cultivators attacking in succession—I can hold out for several days with the Xuan Gui Array… as long as no array master joins them."

Mu Wanda muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if Xiao Yuan Mountain itself was being torn apart.

"No!"

Mu Wanda stared in horror as the earth veins trembled, revealing a massive flaw in the Xuan Gui Array.

The third cultivator, who had been motionless, sneered and launched a third-rank array-breaking talisman.

Countless silver talisman lines flew through the air, forming a luminous silver corridor.

The man strode boldly straight into the Xuan Gui Array!

"Suicide!"

Though the array's power momentarily failed, it lasted only a few breaths.

Mu Wanda immediately slapped his Lower Dantian, and a fish-scale shield emerged—thousands of scales instantly scattered, forming a wall of armored scales.

The figure who had entered the array chuckled, and a fan-shaped treasure flew from his hand.

Swish!

The fan unfolded, its front painted with a picture of Five Cloud Emerald Peaks.

Light flashed across the fan's surface, and a phantom mountain materialized, crashing into the scale wall.

Terrifying spiritual energy surged, shattering many scales.

The remaining scales converged before Mu Wanda, forming a scaled shield reduced by more than half its size.

The treasure fan snapped shut, revealing a blade as cold as ice.

The unknown cultivator gripped the fan's handle as if holding a peerless flying sword—devastating sword intent surged into the sky.

Swish!

A flash of sword light!

Its momentum like thunder and wind, it struck the scale shield along an uncanny trajectory.

The already damaged treasure exploded instantly, sending a sword intent into Mu Wanda's mind sea, where it began to wreak havoc.

One sword—wounded a Golden Core cultivator!

"Treasure 'Sword in Fan'? Are you the Death-Bringing Scholar?!" Mu Wanda's face twisted with despair.

At that moment, a faint dragon's roar echoed from the heavens.

A "Dragon Boat" shot through the sky at incredible speed—the leader was none other than Mu Family's patriarch, Mu Mu Wansheng!

"Form the array—Ten Thousand Transformations Azure Dragon!"

He formed hand seals, and every clan guard aboard the Dragon Boat immediately took their positions, channeling spiritual energy into it.

Roar! Roar!

Instantly, the Dragon Boat came alive, transforming into a forty-zhang-long azure dragon, its spiritual energy surging to late-stage Golden Core levels.

Training clan disciples to form battle arrays was also part of Mu Family's depth!

"Go!"

Two cries rang out—the flame-spitting Golden Core cultivator and the earth-vein attacker exchanged glances and immediately shot skyward.

But just then, the forty-zhang-long azure dragon caught up and swung its tail.

The flame-spitter screamed, spewing a cluster of yellow-red flame.

The flame instantly formed a beast as massive as a mountain—a jackal.

Yet beneath the dragon's tail, it shattered instantly.

The dragon's tail continued its arc, striking the Golden Core cultivator, dissolving his protective aura and revealing a red-robed, bearded giant.

"Candlefire Lord, how dare you provoke the Mu family?"

A voice rang out from within the "Azure Dragon."

Candlefire Lord covered his face with his sleeve; when he lowered it, a strange crimson mask now covered his face.

He spat out waves of crimson true fire, transforming them into countless flaming birds that pecked at the azure dragon.

Meanwhile, the other array cultivator casually tossed out array flags and plates, forming a new array crackling with lightning.

Boom!

Fire and lightning nearly blotted out the sky as they clashed with the azure dragon.

After a few breaths, the two Golden Core cultivators retreated: "Mu Family truly is formidable—even a rotten boat still has three catties of nails…"

The azure dragon likewise dispersed, reverting to its original Dragon Boat form.

Mu Mu Wansheng scanned the pale faces of his clan guards, then gazed toward the direction the two cultivators fled: "These two are nominally cultivators, but one is the illegitimate son of a senior elder of the Burning Heaven Valley, the other is backed by the Zhang family of Green Peak—hah! Otherwise, how would a mere cultivator learn array arts? Does he even have an array lineage?"

"Our family can't afford more enemies now, but we must establish dominance… The Death-Bringing Scholar has the least background—leave him behind!"

He reached out, and a purple flame net treasure crashed down.

The Death-Bringing Scholar sneered, vanished in a flash, and evaded the purple flame net with astonishing speed.

Simultaneously, an impossibly fine white thread of light slipped silently behind Mu Mu Wansheng, piercing his Golden Core spiritual shield.

Pop!

Mu Mu Wansheng's spiritual shield burst like a soap bubble, allowing the white thread to plunge straight into his Lower Dantian!

"Heh heh, Mu Family's might is great… but you didn't know I'm not only skilled in Sword in Fan—I also wield the Death-Bringing Needle!"

The Death-Bringing Scholar cackled twice, made no further move, and fled into the distance.

"Patriarch!"

Mu Wanda barely rose into the air, his face filled with concern: "Are you alright?"

"The Death-Bringing Scholar… once unknown, yet this 'Death-Bringing Needle' is truly formidable…"

Mu Mu Wansheng spoke, his mouth full of blood, secretly transmitting thoughts via spirit sense: "I'm severely wounded—I need a cave dwelling and spiritual pills to recover. Hold this position—don't show any weakness!"

The Mu family could no longer afford any more failures.

If unrest intensified, those greedy wolves would tear them apart.

…

Dozens of li away.

The Death-Bringing Scholar transformed into Fang Xing's appearance.

He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly—he'd merely assumed the Death-Bringing Scholar's identity to casually investigate Mu Family's affairs in Xiancheng, and was immediately labeled as having ulterior motives, dragged in as high-level cannon fodder.

"But now isn't the time to kill Mu Mu Wansheng… even though he surely knows the refining incantation for the Jiao Wei Qin."

Fang Xing mused inwardly.

To impersonate a cultivator sect or family member requires solving many problems.

The biggest issue: fate tablets, soul lamps, and similar things.

Important figures in major sects are typically assigned to light a soul lamp, enshrined within layers of seals, as proof of status and guidance for future rescue.

If the soul lamp extinguishes, the person is dead.

So if Fang Xing killed Mu Mu Wansheng, even if the Jiuying Pearl perfectly disguised him, the moment the fate tablet and soul lamp vanished, it would be obvious he was dead—he'd be exposed immediately.

Thus, Fang Xing chose to first severely wound Mu Mu Wansheng.

This would manifest on the soul lamp as a dim, nearly extinguished glow—indicating grave injury, or being trapped in some deadly place.

Just barely better than death.

"Later, I'll split most of his soul using demonic methods, take his essence blood, yet preserve a sliver of life… bypassing soul lamp detection, allowing me to infiltrate the Mu family."

As for the dimmed soul lamp?

Being severely wounded, wouldn't it be normal for the soul lamp to dim slightly?

Fang Xing has always been one to repay grudges and settle scores.

In the cultivation world, it's standard practice to exterminate nine clans; if you offend an enemy, you must destroy their family and sect.

So if Mu Mu Qinglan took the initiative to attack me within the Linlang Blessed Land, that's a personal grudge!

I also hold a grudge against the Mu family!

He took a few more steps and arrived at a swamp where yin energy gathered; in his hand, a pitch-black token appeared as he muttered incantations continuously.

Gurgling!

From within the poisonous swamp, a large number of yellow-green bubbles suddenly rose.

Then, a massive head emerged.

It was a peculiar corpse spirit, clad in black armor, draped in a cloak, and wearing a pale mask.

On the mask, an ancient seal script character "Earth" was engraved.

Immediately after, another corpse spirit emerged from the swamp, its mask engraved with the character "Water."

Then came the Fire Corpse, the Metal Corpse, the Wood Corpse…

The five corpse spirits had changed so drastically that even cultivators from the Wanshang Demon Sect would fail to recognize them.

"The Five Chaos Demons are now complete."

"Actually, calling them Five Shadow Corpse Demons might be even better… too bad there's no Wind or Thunder…"

With the aid of five Reversing Heaven Golden Corpses, combined with numerous offerings from demon cultivators, and most importantly, his own Nascent Soul spiritual power, Fang Xing easily re-consecrated the "Five Chaos Demons."

According to his preliminary tests, each "Five Chaos Demon" is at least equivalent to a mid-grade third-rank body cultivator; when paired with the engraved Five Elements spells, they rival the peak of Golden Core mid-stage cultivators.

If the Five Chaos Demons unite to form the Five Sons Demon Array, they could dominate the Golden Core realm—ordinary Golden Core late-stage cultivators would stand no chance.

Today's update is late.