Chapter 277

"The Ten Thousand Flowers Illusion Array—how could this be?"

A Core Formation true cultivator, entirely wrapped in white light, stared at the swirling petals that had once again enveloped Mount Mount Baihua, his eyes filled with shock.

Just moments ago, this array had been slowly faltering—how had it suddenly regained its power?

"Bad… the Crane Lord?!"

The Core Formation true cultivator grew frantic.

He was the Second Supreme Elder of the White Crane Sect, mid-Core Formation realm, Dao name Feihe Zhenren.

Naturally, he knew how highly the Supreme Elder regarded that third-rank superior variant crane.

Had Mu Wanlü not been too powerful, requiring the Supreme Elder's personal intervention, he would never have sent the Crane Lord to infiltrate Mount Mount Baihua.

But now…

Had the Crane Lord failed?

As Feihe Zhenren hesitated, the swirling petals parted, revealing a path paved with five-colored flowers.

An elderly man with a withered face and snow-white hair stood atop the floral path, holding a crane's head aloft, exuding arrogance.

"Mu Mu Wansheng?!"

Feihe Zhenren gasped: "Late-Core Formation? How is this possible?"

"White Crane Sect, you dare secretly dispatch a spirit crane to infiltrate my Mu family and kill our Core Formation elder… This matter, the Mu family will make known to all!"

Fang Xing sneered.

Cultivators who mingle among the orthodox sects always care about their reputation.

Thus, every Core Formation cultivator who came here hid their identity—even if suspected, they would never admit it.

After the Mu family's destruction, only demonic cultivators or raiders could be blamed for its annihilation.

The White Crane Sect merely reluctantly took over the Mu family's assets.

But now… things have gone awry…

This third-rank superior variant spirit crane is the clearest evidence—White Crane Sect cannot possibly evade responsibility.

Even if the Du Qiankun Dao secretly backed White Crane Sect, they would still have to give the Mu family an explanation for this.

Feihe Zhenren said nothing more; the White Crane Sect was now locked in mortal enmity with the Mu family.

Unless he immediately led forces into the array and crushed Mu Mu Wansheng to dust, erasing all evidence,

any words were useless!

But… he was merely a mid-Core Formation cultivator, even the strongest among all Core Formation true cultivators in the surrounding region.

Opposite him stood the former stronghold of a Nascent Soul clan, guarded by a near-fourth-rank array and presided over by a late-Core Formation cultivator!

No matter how this late-Core Formation cultivation had been achieved, even a cultivator of Zhengqizi's caliber dared not charge the Mu family's array!

"Under these circumstances… only the Supreme Elder, accompanied by several ancestral elders and wielding a fourth-rank Breaking Vein Pearl, might possibly prevail…"

"But those few late-Core Formation great cultivators have already gone to ambush Mu Wanlü…"

"We assumed this place had an inside agent, the Crane Lord, and our own forces—dealing with Mu Wanqing, a mere Core Formation cultivator, was certain victory. Yet this grievously wounded Mu Mu Wansheng has been playing the fool all along…"

Feihe Zhenren felt immense frustration, but finally waved his hand: "Withdraw!"

He led the retreat—he needed to return to the sect and prepare many things.

Such as… the Mu family's formal complaint!

He must get the Du Qiankun Dao's Wuxingzi to find a solution.

Wuxingzi of the Du Qiankun Dao was the newly selected Nascent Soul seed, a half-Core Formation cultivator, regarded as the next-generation hope after Hunyuanzi's demise.

Such Nascent Soul sects as the Top Ten Orthodox and Demonic factions never put all their eggs in one basket.

Beyond the Nascent Soul seeds, they always had backups.

Though Wuxingzi was slightly inferior to Hunyuanzi, he was still a top choice.

The demonic side had also selected a new Nascent Soul seed.

But they had suffered heavy losses and lacked Nascent Soul-formation spiritual items; relying solely on their sect's reserves was far from secure.

Hence this Great Exploration War!

Feihe Zhenren vanished in a streak of light; the other Core Formation true cultivators exchanged glances and withdrew as well.

"Elder…"

Seeing this, the pseudo-Core Formation cultivator who had first attacked Mu Mu Wanlan flew into the air, helplessly: "Let them just leave?"

"Cough… cough…"

Fang Xing suddenly coughed, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and revealed a smear of crimson.

"I forcibly used forbidden techniques to suppress my injuries and elevate my realm—I've long been at my limit. If I don't move, I'm fine; if I do, I'll likely perish on the spot…"

In truth, he was too lazy to act as the Mu family's enforcer—he'd merely given a token show to drive off their enemies.

"Elder, you are now the family's anchor—what should we do?"

The pseudo-Core Formation cultivator looked terrified.

"Cough… cough… Wan Zhang…"

Fang Xing coughed again, his aura rapidly weakening: "With Wanqing dead, the family has suffered devastating losses… I entrust everything to you. The Mu family must do three things now!"

"Please, Elder, instruct us." Mu Wan Zhang's gaze was resolute.

He was a cultivator who had proven his unwavering loyalty to the Mu family through great trials.

"First, immediately notify the family head… perhaps it's too late, but we must try to assist their return."

Fang Xing raised a second finger: "Second, report to our superior sect… this spirit crane's corpse is the best evidence."

"Third—the Mu family will seal the mountain!"

"Seal the mountain?" Mu Wan Zhang froze, murmuring: "Has it come to this?"

Though the Mu family had declined, it had still maintained the dignity of the top Core Formation clan.

It still held numerous shops, spirit herb gardens, mining shares… and even when other Core Formation clans sought profit, they still invited the Mu family—considered the elder of the circle; even after decline, it remained second or third.

But sealing the mountain was entirely different—it meant abandoning all external interests and solely defending the ancestral grounds of Mount Mount Baihua!

This was undoubtedly agonizing; Mount Mount Baihua's resources could never sustain so many family cultivators.

Either dismiss most of them, or exhaust the family's reserves.

If this continued, the Mu family would surely decline within a century.

Unless, during the sealing, heaven granted a miracle and nurtured a new Core Formation true cultivator.

But that was virtually impossible.

When cultivation factions chose to seal the mountain, most were merely drinking poison to quench thirst—slowly dying…

Those who rose from the ashes were each a once-in-a-thousand-years rarity, which is why their stories grew ever more legendary.

Of course, for Fang Xing…

The Mu family's slow death was perfect.

He only needed to occupy the fourth-rank cave dwelling; everything else was the Mu family's concern, not his.

Naturally, he could abandon it without hesitation.

This wasn't even cutting off a limb—it was chopping off the entire body, leaving only the head.

"Such a decision should await the family head's return… but temporarily sealing the mountain and fully activating the protective array is feasible…"

Mu Wan Zhang said: "I leave it entirely to your judgment…"

In the Mu family's ancestral mountain, only Mu Mu Wansheng remained as a Core Formation true cultivator.

And he was the former family head!

Though he had some stains of cowardice in his later governance, his bold stand today proved everything!

"Wan Zhang… today, my use of forbidden techniques worsened my unhealed injuries—I can no longer sustain myself even a moment longer. I must now enter a death-sealed cultivation. The family is yours."

Fang Xing waved his hand, transformed into a streak of light, and flew back to his cave dwelling.

Before leaving, he tossed the array token to Mu Wan Zhang and took the spirit crane's core with him.

It was a third-rank superior beast core—worth a considerable amount of spirit stones.

…

Inside the cave dwelling.

A flash of light appeared—Fang Xing materialized.

He toyed with the white core in his hand, then paused thoughtfully: "Hmm… after today's battle, Mu Mu Wansheng must enter death-sealed cultivation—on the verge of perishing at any moment. No one will bother me now, right?"

"Besides, today's outburst worsened my injuries—I must make the soul lamp even dimmer…"

He didn't dare touch the Mu family ancestral hall; its prohibitions were heavy and troublesome.

"The simplest way is to further torment Mu Mu Wansheng, worsening his injuries…"

Fang Xing formed a hand seal and used Earth-Traveling Technique, arriving at a hidden chamber beneath his cave.

Dozens of strange black-robed, masked figures stood at the chamber's corners, guarding a comatose old man.

It was the "Five Chaos Demon" and the real "Mu Mu Wansheng"!

"More torment—but he must not die. This truly tests my skill…"

Fang Xing murmured.

…

Several days later.

Mu Wan Zhang stood in the ancestral hall, beside the family head's seat, his expression utterly drained.

The Mu family had already dispatched many cultivators for the Great Exploration War.

Of course, many elite warriors remained, even several False Gold Core cultivators.

But after that night when Mu Mu Wanlan betrayed them, Mu Wanqing perished, his Dao destroyed, and several False Gold Core cultivators were swallowed one by one by the third-rank superior spiritual crane, their deaths gruesome beyond words.

Now, the family had only him left as a False Gold Core cultivator; with no choice, he could only promote late Foundation Establishment cultivators to attend ancestral hall meetings.

"What of the Family Head…?"

Mu Wanzhang's voice was dry, like that of a dead man, yet still clinging to the last shred of hope.

"The Long family replied—they found remnants of the White Jade Palace near Tianyun Mountain… the Family Head and others have no word…"

A late Foundation Establishment cultivator's eyes turned bloodshot.

After all, they were of the same family—his own grandfather had been in this expedition force!

"What a ruthless White Crane Gate!"

Mu Wanzhang cursed, when a Foundation Establishment cultivator entered, holding a letter talisman.

"Has the Du Qiankun Dao replied?"

Mu Wanzhang snatched it at once, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and immediately roared: "Despicable! Utterly despicable! What do you mean the Control Crane Token was stolen? That feathered beast… isn't it the White Crane Gate's Supreme Elder's life-bound spiritual pet? When did life-bound spiritual pets start being controlled by life talismans?!"

The Du Qiankun Dao's response was blatant favoritism.

The White Crane Gate gave an excuse, and the Du Qiankun Dao believed it instantly!

This collusion left Mu Wanzhang's heart icy cold: "The Mu family is finished… this time, we may have no choice but to seal the mountain!"

He now dared not even leave the Mount Baihua Mountain range, fearing he might die at any moment.

"Enough… issue the order: the Mu family shall seal the mountain for a hundred years!"

Mu Wanzhang gritted his teeth and made his decision.

Though this meant abandoning the outside world entirely, forever losing the prestige of a Golden Core family.

But at least it would preserve the family—even if only for a hundred years…

Only two updates today.

(End of Chapter)