Chapter 582: Annihilation

Several months later.

A figure appeared, riding the void, suddenly arriving at the eastern peak of Poison Dragon Slope.

"Where are the Five Friends of Floating Clouds?"

A clear voice rang out.

Tie Luo Sanren, Song Yunqian, Hu Liuniang, Lu Feng, and others hurried out, staring at the figure with horrified expressions: "Physical flight? Eighth Stage of Qi Sensing?"

An Eighth Stage Qi Sensing cultivator had refined their internal energy into Gangqi, capable of lifting their physical body into flight—henceforth, they were nearly a different species from mortals.

And this Eighth Stage Qi Sensing cultivator, they all recognized—he was Fei Cai, the current patriarch of the Fei family.

"Greetings, Patriarch Fei…"

Tie Luo Sanren stepped forward, bowed, and asked: "Have you come to collect the talisman fees? We've already prepared this year's tribute…"

"The tribute can wait."

Fei Cai landed, his body surrounded by swirling Gangqi, radiating natural authority: "The White Bone Alliance has betrayed the Fei family and plans to defect to the Corpse Moving Sect. By order of our Upper Sect, I am here to exterminate them… What do you say?"

Tie Luo Sanren and the others exchanged glances, then immediately replied: "We have no objections. We are willing to aid the Fei family."

"Hmm… Our families are in-laws after all…" Fei Cai's expression softened slightly: "This operation will be led by me personally—speed is the key. Each family must send its strongest warriors… You several lack even Late Stage Qi Sensing; your presence would be useless… I hear the strongest creature in Poison Dragon Slope is a rare black serpent. Let it fight this time… And bring the herbalist along."

Fei Cai said: "This will count as your three-year tribute."

"This…"

Tie Luo Sanren and the others exchanged glances, hesitating.

After all, this wasn't what they had agreed upon before.

"What? Do you have reservations?"

Seeing this, Fei Cai sneered.

At that moment, a boy clad in animal hides walked over, followed by a black serpent: "No problem at all."

It was naturally Fang Xing.

After breaking through to Druid Level 10, he had grown restless.

Unexpectedly, the Fei family had this matter—perfect timing to visit the Burial Grounds.

"Hmm… We've met before. You're Fang Xing, right? Your herbal arts are impressive. Would you consider joining my household?"

Fei Cai's eyes flashed with sharp light—he had already seen through the boy: clearly Eighth Stage Qi Sensing, nearly at Seventh Stage.

"Apologies… I only seek a quiet place to cultivate, living as a free cloud and wild crane."

Fang Xing smiled and shook his head. This carefree attitude made Song Yunqian and Hu Liuniang both sweat nervously for him.

"Hah… Last time you said the same. This time, you say it again."

Fei Cai chuckled: "Fine… Can you fly? Let's rendezvous at the Burial Grounds. If you delay military orders, I'll cut you down."

"Agreed."

Fang Xing pulled out a paper kite.

It looked like a black swallow-shaped kite; he blew gently on it, and it instantly soared upward, growing as large as a small boat.

It was the Paper Kite Technique—one of the three foundational paper-folding arts he had acquired years ago.

Fang Xing leapt lightly onto the kite and began to drift slowly upward.

Though slow, the Eighth Stage Qi Sensing cultivator's flight, relying purely on Gangqi, was no faster—so he kept pace with Fei Cai.

Even after flying a distance, Fei Cai grew weary and, without hesitation, landed on the kite to sit and restore his energy.

In the sky, a black swallow-shaped kite drifted slowly, carrying two people.

On the ground, a dark line raced swiftly behind—it was the black serpent.

The wind howled fiercely.

Fang Xing appeared to be seated in meditation, but inwardly he was thinking: "After Fei Tianbao failed his Dao Foundation breakthrough and perished, even if the Fei family wanted to gather a single Dao Foundation spiritual object, it might take decades of accumulation…"

"That 'Dragon King Ginseng'—even its sap could be exchanged for a Dao Foundation object. How valuable would the entire root be?"

…

Though the paper kite flew slowly, it faced no terrain restrictions.

Not long after, Fang Xing and the others passed Green Water Wang and arrived at a swamp.

The toxic mist here was even more terrifying, carrying a strong corrosive aura.

On the swamp's surface, occasional segments of bleached bone could be seen.

"Burial Grounds… The White Bone Alliance chose this place precisely for its bones and toxic mist… Using secret methods to cultivate 'White Bone Skeletons,' then infusing the mist into them to enhance their power…"

Fang Xing's gaze shifted; following Fei Cai's direction, he guided the kite down into a mist-shrouded bay.

As they entered the mist, several figures suddenly appeared on the ground—all with Qi Sensing Seventh Stage or higher.

Fang Xing's eyes flickered—he recognized them: "Fei Wu, Fei Shentong, the patriarch of the Xu family from Clear Wind Hollow, the elder of the Yin family from Three-Month Pond…"

Fei Wu and Fei Shentong had once vied with Fei Cai for the patriarch title—clearly both were Late Stage Qi Sensing cultivators.

The Xu patriarch and Yin elder were the same.

Fang Xing landed, immediately drawing several watchful glances.

"Hehe… I am Yin Shou. Young friend, are you Fang Xing from Poison Dragon Slope?"

The Yin elder chuckled, his cultivation clearly hovering near Eighth Stage Qi Sensing.

"Yes."

Fang Xing gave a slight bow; behind him, in the swamp, a pair of vertical pupils flickered faintly.

"I've long heard of your exceptional herbal arts and mastery over beasts. Now I've seen it for myself."

The Xu patriarch, a middle-aged man, also smiled.

It seemed as if three families were aligned, moving in unison.

But Fang Xing knew—they were all old foxes. When trouble came, they'd surely shove blame onto each other. "Enough. Everyone is here. Let's proceed to the White Bone Alliance and exterminate all their cultivators…"

Fei Cai said calmly.

The White Bone Alliance cultivated the White Bone Art, excelling only in crafting White Bone Skeletons; they had only one true Late Stage Qi Sensing cultivator.

With six Late Stage Qi Sensing warriors together, victory was certain.

…

The White Bone Alliance's base lay across a stretch of bleached wasteland.

Numerous buildings dotted the land, flanked by strange white bone banners fluttering in the wind.

The White Bone Alliance was not a family, but a sect of demonic cultivators who practiced the White Bone Art and chose the Burial Grounds for its ideal environment.

At the edge of the buildings, a dozen ordinary skeleton soldiers patrolled.

Sssss!

No error in content—everything is visible!

Suddenly!

A thick dark shadow rose from the swamp—it was the black serpent!

It opened its massive maw and spat a stream of toxic miasma, like black fog.

Wherever it passed, even white bone corroded into strange white liquid.

Cultivators of Early and Mid Stage Qi Sensing died without a sound.

"Who dares invade the White Bone Alliance?"

From within the buildings came a shout; a strange white Gangqi lifted an ancient, ethereal old man into the air—he was Eighth Stage Qi Sensing!

"Hmph, White Bone Elder, your alliance secretly colludes with the Xie family of Shan Yin and the Corpse Moving Sect. By order of our Upper Sect, we are here to exterminate you!"

Fei Cai soared into the sky and shouted back.

"So? When you want to destroy someone, you'll find any excuse! Clearly, the Fei family intends to wipe out my White Bone Alliance today. Are you three families blind? Don't you fear you'll all be destroyed together?"

White Bone Elder looked at Fang Xing and the others: "The Fei family has wolfish ambitions. You know this—why not abandon darkness and join the light?"

Unfortunately, none of Fang Xing's three showed the slightest hesitation.

After all, who would willingly board a sinking ship?

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, White Bone Elder sneered.

Then, one by one, strange white bone skeletons burst from the White Bone Alliance.

Each had a head as large as a cartwheel, glowing crimson—demonic entities forged by secret methods, each as powerful as a Seventh Stage Qi Sensing cultivator.

And now, three emerged at once!

The Yin elder and Xu patriarch exchanged glances—both thought the same: "No wonder the Fei family moved now… Cultivating the White Bone Art here is truly synergistic…"

"We'll hold them off."

Fei Wu, a burly middle-aged man, roared and charged forward with the Yin elder and Xu patriarch to block the three skeletons.

Fang Xing remained a background figure, staying at the perimeter, using the black serpent to clear the lesser soldiers.

Fei Cai and Fei Shentong, both Eighth Stage Qi Sensing, surrounded White Bone Elder.

In an instant, the battlefield was thick with miasma, Gangqi swirling everywhere.

"With this momentum… the White Bone Alliance won't last long."

Fang Xing watched the black serpent spew toxic mist, his thoughts turning: "Next, will it be a full-scale purge? No… not quite…"

With his current Druid perception, he faintly sensed danger.

This made Fang Xing cautious—he retreated to the edge of the Burial Grounds.

Suddenly!

Just as the White Bone Elder was about to collapse, a terrifying pale corpse qi suddenly erupted from a nearby building!

It rose like a celestial pillar and slammed into Fei Cai.

Fei Cai let out a shriek as his protective aura rapidly corroded.

He realized something was wrong and tried to flee, when he saw an odd shadow.

It was a jade-armored corpse, its face green, fangs protruding, canine teeth sharp, red hair streaming, blocking his path with two scaled hands that seized his head.

"A Foundation Establishment corpse? White Bone Alliance, you've truly allied with the Corpse Moving Sect?"

Fei Cai wailed as his head exploded like a watermelon.

The White Bone Elder held an ancient bronze bell, his expression half-smiling: "Didn't your Fei family already find out? Too bad… planting such a corpse beneath the very eyes of Qingmu Ridge isn't easy…"

Clearly, the White Bone Alliance had grand designs, but now that they were exposed, they were useless.

But at that moment, an unexpected change occurred!

A shimmering canopy of tree shadows had spread across hundreds of meters without warning.

Countless emerald vines materialized in the air, like steel whips, lashing toward the corpse.

"Ancestor?"

Fei Shentong, having narrowly escaped death, was overjoyed.

"Fei family ancestor?"

The White Bone Elder shrieked, frantically shaking his bell, causing the corpse to erupt in terrifying black flames that burned the illusory vines, then rushed to his side and carried him away in a flash.

"Heh… thank you, friend, for the gift of this corpse. Please stay a moment."

A withered voice emerged, followed by a flash of green light—a thin-faced old man stood in midair, glancing at Fei Cai's corpse with a trace of regret: "Immediately eradicate this place. Hand the White Bone Elder over to me!"

Though a family head had died, the Fei family ancestor's voice carried a hint of delight.

(End of Chapter)