Chapter 413: Step-by-Step Azure Lotus, Wither and Flourish, Life and Death

Xu Chuan thought of the Purple Firmament Heavenly Fiend Lamp.

He took some time to go out on a trip.

Going all out with his Great Accomplishment stage evasion divine ability, he arrived at Xu Dewen's location in less than seven minutes.

After handing the item over to him.

Xu Dewen recognized it at a glance. "Grandfather, is this the Purple Firmament Heavenly Fiend Lamp?"

"Oh? You know of it?"

"It is mentioned in the Heavenly Fiend Bright King True Scripture I practice. It's an ancient Spirit Treasure. Ordinary people can only use it at the cost of their lifespan, essence, qi, and spirit."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled. "Listening to your tone, can you exempt yourself from these costs?"

"I can. The cultivation method contains the correct secret method for manipulating it. By refining it with pure Heavenly Fiend Power, it can be used normally. What a pity, though. It seems to be incomplete."

Xu Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, "If you refine it, what level of power do you think you can unleash?"

"Although crooked paths are undesirable, their upper limit of power is indeed high. If I use it normally, it should be comparable to a Great Accomplishment stage divine ability.

By expending more mana, I might even be able to unleash the might of a Perfection stage divine ability."

Xu Chuan nodded. "That's more than enough. Be careful and don't expose this trump card lightly. Even an incomplete Spirit Treasure is enough to draw the attention of Nascent Soul stage cultivators."

"Your grandson understands."

"Stay here and behave. It won't be long before Dongxi faces a great battle. Your grandfather needs to return and hold the fort."

"Do you need your grandson to return as well?"

"What do you think?" Xu Chuan chuckled, then left the grotto-residence, vanishing using an evasion divine ability.

Xu Dewen let out a self-deprecating smile. 'True, with Grandfather there, why would they need me?

Father, Deling, Fifth Uncle, Ye Fan... which one of them isn't stronger than me?!'

'I need to speed up the refinement of the residual medicinal efficacy of the Withered Glory Pill. Only when I have the mana foundation of the Late-Stage Golden Core will I truly have the ability to protect myself.'

In just a brief moment.

Xu Chuan traversed thousands of miles, quietly returning to Dongxi.

An hour or two later.

The earth began to rumble.

A massive horde of wild beasts and demonic beasts came stampeding over.

The people inside Dongxi immediately fell into a panic.

"What's happening?"

"Are the demonic beasts attacking?"

Although Dongxi's presence was hidden, it was hard to guarantee that no wild beasts or demonic beasts would stumble in.

Tier 3 demonic beasts might not look too closely.

However, seven Golden Core stage demonic cultivators from the Black Water Region happened to find their way to Dongxi as well.

They had come after hearing of the Xu family's reputation.

Very soon, the existence of the Cloud Heaven Illusionary Array was discovered.

This also attracted five Tier 3 demonic beasts to gather around.

Following their roars.

All the demonic beasts within a thirty-mile radius converged outside Dongxi.

"This grand array is quite something," a green-robed youth said with a wide grin. "To be able to deceive my Golden Core Perfection divine sense, it must be at least mid-grade third-tier.

And judging by its profound complexity, I'm afraid it has reached the high-grade third-tier."

.

"Haha, that means the Dongxi Xu Clan is hiding a massive secret. Their heritage is far beyond what other Golden Core aristocratic families in the Tu Kingdom can compare to.

I wonder which Daoist friend got to the resources of the Cao Clan, Sima Family, and Liu Family first.

As for this Xu family, there's absolutely no way this old man will miss out again."

This gray-robed old man was another Golden Core Perfection expert, possibly even someone who had reached Great Accomplishment in their divine abilities.

"Not only that, but I've heard that someone in the Xu family managed a Divine Ability Core Formation. To accomplish such a feat in this perilous environment means they would definitely be a supreme prodigy in the outside world."

The person speaking was a Ninth Layer Golden Core demonic cultivator, his entire body shrouded in Yin Qi.

Among the seven Golden Core demonic cultivators who had arrived, four were at the Late-Stage Golden Core, while the rest were at the Mid-stage Golden Core.

As for the demonic beasts.

There were two late third-tier and two mid third-tier beasts, one of which was the very Earth Dragon Rhinoceros that had annihilated the Zhou family.

Facing seven Golden Core demonic cultivators, the five demonic beasts didn't dare act rashly either.

"Fellow Daoist friends, who would like to go test that grand array?" the green-robed youth grinned.

Right at that moment.

The space ahead rippled like water.

A young man dressed in simple plain robes, with a face so ordinary he would be lost in a crowd, appeared in mid-air without any warning.

Neither the crowd nor the demonic beasts were particularly surprised yet.

However, in the very next second.

The youth moved.

He took a single step.

In the void beneath his foot, a lifelike azure lotus silently bloomed.

The lotus was not a physical object, but rather formed entirely from pure spiritual opportunity and Dao Rhyme.

A second step.

Another azure lotus bloomed.

Meanwhile, the previous one rapidly withered.

A strange fragrance permeated the surroundings, intoxicating anyone who caught a whiff.

A third step, a fourth step...

The youth stood with his hands behind his back, walking on the void, lotuses blooming with every step.

He ascended high into the air until he was level with the Black Water Region's Golden Core cultivators and the Tier 3 demonic beasts.

This youth was none other than Xu Chuan.

If he could deter them without fighting, that would be for the best.

Xu Chuan didn't release even a shred of overbearing pressure from his body; instead, he exuded a tranquility reminiscent of returning to original simplicity.

Yet it was precisely this tranquility that made the green-robed youth and the gray-robed old man's pupils shrink slightly.

Xu Chuan stopped about three hundred feet away from both sides, his calm gaze sweeping past the seven demonic cultivators before drifting over the five demonic beasts.

Finally, he spoke evenly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly transmitted into everyone's ears. "Heavenly South, Northwest Region, Azure Dragon Prefecture. First Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance, True Lord Withered Glory."

He paused, his eyes falling on the group of Golden Core cultivators. "Fellow Daoist friends of the Black Water Region, could you do this True Lord a favor and withdraw here and now?"

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Then, a sudden Pfft! broke the quiet.

A sinister-looking black-robed demonic cultivator standing slightly toward the back couldn't help but let out a sneer.

His cultivation was at the peak of the Mid-stage Golden Core, and his face was full of disdain. "What First Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance? Never heard of it!

A mere Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator dares to call himself a True Lord and spout such nonsense?!

I'll be the one to kill you!"

Before his voice even faded, the black-robed demonic cultivator violently lunged forward!

He naturally possessed an impatient and ruthless temperament. Seeing that Xu Chuan only had a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivation base, he held him in utter contempt.

Without a second word, he summoned a Ghost Head Broadsword wreathed in pitch-black demonic qi, his body transforming into a streak of black smoke as he lunged straight for Xu Chuan!

"Ghost Shadow Slash!"

The blade light exploded to thirty feet in length, radiating sinister demonic qi accompanied by the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves. Its terrifying momentum clearly reached the full power of a peak Mid-stage Golden Core attack!

Even a typical Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator would find themselves somewhat tied down by such a slash.

The green-robed youth, the gray-robed old man, and the others watched coldly, making no move to stop him.

They were more than happy to let someone else strike first and test the mettle of this True Lord Withered Glory.

Facing this fierce and vicious blade, Xu Chuan's expression remained completely unchanged; he didn't even shift his footing.

He merely raised his eyes, casting a single glance at the incoming black-robed demonic cultivator.

In his pupils, a speck of dark light flickered.

"Hum!"

A spiritual sense attack, like dozens of silver needles as fine as ox hair, viciously pierced straight into the man's spiritual sea!

Xu Chuan had held back.

This was only about a third of the true power of his divine sense!

"Ah—!"

The black-robed demonic cultivator's forward-charging momentum abruptly stiffened, and he let out an agonizing scream that hardly sounded human!

His attack faltered instantly, and the Ghost Head Broadsword nearly slipped from his grasp and plummeted.

"A spiritual sense attack?!" The crowd's expressions shifted slightly.

And in the exact instant the black-robed demonic cultivator's tragic scream rang out, Xu Chuan made his move.

No, he didn't actually move his body.

He simply flipped his right hand casually and pressed his palm down.

"Hum."

The Heavy Profound Seal appeared out of thin air, rapidly expanding in the wind until it was ten feet across. Carrying a terrifying might capable of suppressing mountains and rivers, it ruthlessly smashed down toward the black-robed demonic cultivator. The man sensed the descent of death, but under the lingering effects of the divine sense secret method, he couldn't concentrate enough to unleash any divine abilities. He had no choice but to raise his Ghost Head Broadsword to block.

"Boom!"

The Ghost Head Broadsword was instantly knocked flying.

Meanwhile, the residual force of the Heavy Profound Seal crashed solidly against his body!

His protective demonic light popped like a fragile bubble, and the dense, sickening sound of bones shattering echoed out.

Like a falling meteor, the black-robed demonic cultivator was violently slammed into the ground below, cratering the road and sending a thick cloud of dust and debris into the air.

Xu Chuan's body blurred, transforming into an azure streak of light and vanishing.

Before anyone realized, he had already appeared above the deep crater.

He looked down at the dying black-robed demonic cultivator at the bottom of the pit, his eyes as indifferent as if he were staring at an ant.

He raised his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, and lightly tapped the empty air.

A speck of misty gray light flickered at his fingertips. Though it looked faint, it contained an aura of decay and death—the complete withering of all living things and the extinction of vitality.

"Withered Silence Seal!"

A seal mark landed directly on the black-robed demonic cultivator's chest.

There was no earth-shattering noise.

The faint moans of the black-robed demonic cultivator abruptly stopped. The very last shred of light in his eyes rapidly dimmed and extinguished entirely.

From the moment the black-robed demonic cultivator launched his vicious assault to the moment he died, no more than five or six breaths of time had passed.

Xu Chuan swept his sleeve, collecting the man's corpse and magic treasure into his storage ring.

This was his spoil of war!

The entire scene fell into a deathly stillness.

Whether it was the remaining six Golden Core demonic cultivators or the five Tier 3 demonic beasts, all of them froze completely in place.

Even the wind seemed to have stopped.

The cynical amusement completely vanished from the green-robed youth's face, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and dread.

The gray-robed old man's hand froze in mid-air right as he was stroking his beard. A sharp light exploded in his eyes, and the gray aura around him instinctively accelerated its circulation, betraying the sheer shock in his heart.

The other four Golden Core demonic cultivators turned utterly pale.

They subconsciously took half a step backward, looking at Xu Chuan with distinct terror in their eyes.

After all, since Xu Chuan could so effortlessly slay that black-robed demonic cultivator, he could naturally execute them just as quickly.

Seeing this, the five demonic beasts were also filled with apprehension.

The green-robed youth and the gray-robed old man exchanged a glance, both reading the exact same message in each other's eyes:

Today, by targeting the Dongxi Xu Clan, they had likely kicked an iron plate.

Xu Chuan slowly retracted the Heavy Profound Seal, resting it gently in his palm. Standing with one hand clasped behind his back, his calm gaze swept across the group once more. His voice remained just as indifferent. "Now, are you fellow Daoist friends willing to grant this True Lord some face?"

The gray-robed old man let out a forced laugh. "So it's a fellow Daoist from the Heavenly South. Might I ask why your esteemed self has appeared here so quickly?"

"There's no need for wild guesses; this True Lord simply traveled ahead of the group," Xu Chuan stated mildly. "As for why I came early... my descendants happen to be in this area."

"Could it be that the Dongxi Xu Clan is a branch of your esteemed family from the Azure Dragon Prefecture?" the green-robed youth asked in surprise, soon looking enlightened. "No wonder the Dongxi Xu Clan's arrays are so incredible.

So they were arranged by Daoist friend Withered Glory himself."

Xu Chuan didn't bother clarifying, instead saying plainly, "Are you fellow Daoist friends going to leave now, or do you plan to exchange pointers with this True Lord?

In two days, the rest of my fellow Daoists from the Heavenly South will arrive. If you suffer severe injuries now..."

1

Xu Chuan chuckled softly. "...Things will become very dangerous for you later on. Not to mention the upcoming expedition into the Ancient Battlefield. That is an opportunity that only comes once every five hundred years.

If you miss it, you'll never have the chance to enter it again in this lifetime."

Compared to demonic beasts, cultivators were far more adept at weighing the pros and cons.

This point remained true for both the Righteous Path and the Demonic Dao.

Because this was fundamentally human nature.

The green-robed youth and the gray-robed old man exchanged a look. The old man cupped his fists and said, "We don't know much about the affairs of the Heavenly South, but this old man has never heard of any Azure Dragon Prefecture in the Northwest."

Xu Chuan smiled. "I don't blame you for not knowing. After all, it is a rather recent development.

The Azure Dragon Prefecture was formerly the Heavenly Azure Prefecture, which happens to be the closest prefecture to this very location."

"And the Azure Dragon Alliance..." the green-robed youth prompted.

"This True Lord established the Azure Dragon Alliance. It encompasses all the Golden Core factions within the entire prefecture."

The eyes of the men from the Black Water Region instantly went wide.

A Mid-stage Golden Core old man exclaimed in shock, "If you are the First Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance, doesn't that make you the top authority of the Azure Dragon Prefecture?!"

Xu Chuan remained noncommittal.

But they all knew exactly what that implied.

Anyone who ruled over an entire prefecture absolutely had to belong to a Nascent Soul power!

And for the Xu family to overthrow the previous Nascent Soul power—even if that power had been in decline—proved that they were anything but simple.

'Old Freak Luo, this man must be the number one person beneath the Nascent Soul stage in the Azure Dragon Prefecture's Xu family. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to become the First Elder of that Azure Dragon Alliance.

That black seal is a high-grade magic treasure. Judging by how effortlessly he acted, what he showed just now might have only been sixty or seventy percent of his true strength.

You are a senior, why don't you make a move and test him out?' the green-robed youth suggested via sound transmission.

'Daoist Friend Tao, you are a prodigy of our Black Water Region. At just a little over two hundred and fifty years old, you've already cultivated to Golden Core Perfection. This True Lord Withered Glory doesn't seem very old either.

The two of you are around the same age, so it's only right that you make the move.'

Both of them were deeply wary and refused to blindly test the waters.

Despite how polite Xu Chuan was being right now, if they actually crossed blades, they feared he would show no mercy and execute them just as decisively as he had the last man.

Moreover, the primary reason most Golden Core cultivators entered the Land of Imprisonment to participate in this bloodbath was to prepare for the expedition into the Ancient Battlefield.

If they were lucky enough to stumble upon a Nascent Soul opportunity, they would naturally ascend to the heavens in a single bound.

Upon returning, founding their own sect or establishing a millennium family would become effortless.

After a short moment.

The gray-robed old man spoke, "We only came here because we heard of the legendary Dongxi Xu Clan and wanted to take a look.

Having seen it today, it certainly lives up to its reputation.

This old man promises that as long as Daoist friend does not attack, we will not make a move."

Xu Chuan gave a slight smile and looked at the other five.

They echoed the exact same promise.

"Then I must ask you fellow Daoists to step a bit further away. Ultimately, the true stars of this Thousand-Year Great Tribulation are the demon race from the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

With those words, Xu Chuan finally turned his full attention to the five demonic beasts beside them.

"This king doesn't care if you're True Lord Withered Glory or the First Elder of some Azure Dragon Alliance! The Demon Monarch has decreed that all factions in the Land of Imprisonment above the Foundation Establishment stage must be utterly annihilated!"

Xu Chuan sneered coldly. "If that's the case, why don't you have your Demon Monarch personally enter the Land of Imprisonment and join the slaughter?

Our clan's Grand Elder will be arriving very soon as well!"

Seeing the heated exchange, the green-robed youth and his group swiftly retreated twelve to fifteen miles away, watching the situation unfold from a safe distance.

The green-robed youth remarked, "There has never been a faction that survived past a millennium here before. I wonder if this Xu family can break that curse."

"They probably won't. The bloodlines of those Demon Monarchs in the Hundred Thousand Mountains are extraordinary; all of them carry the blood of ancient true spirits or vicious beasts. If they're truly provoked into action, things will blow up beyond control."

"The bigger the mess, the better." The green-robed youth's eyes lit up. "If this True Lord Withered Glory were to die, do you think the Grand Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance would go crazy?"

The gray-robed old man quickly turned his head, seemingly guessing the youth's underlying intentions.

However, he chose not to say anything more.

What they didn't know, however, was that the Xu family and the Azure Dragon Alliance were two completely different entities entirely.

If Xu Chuan were to die, Mo Wentian, the Grand Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance, would probably wake up laughing in the middle of the night!

He would cheer: The crushing mountain pressing down on my head is finally gone!

From now on, the Azure Dragon Prefecture belongs to the era of my Mo family!

No, the Azure Dragon Prefecture should even be renamed to Wentian Prefecture!

"To eradicate your Xu family, why would we need the Demon Monarch's personal intervention?!"

"Exactly! A measly Xu family like yours could never stop our grand army!"

The two late third-tier demonic beasts spoke up one after the other.

"Then let's find out!"

Tossing down that icy remark, Xu Chuan drifted backward. Like a reflection fading into water, his figure vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Roar!!!"

The silver demonic wolf let out an earth-shaking roar. Its silver-white fur stood entirely on end as ferocious light exploded from its lupine eyes.

As a late third-tier demonic beast, when had it ever been looked down upon so completely?

"Charge! Annihilate the Xu family! I refuse to believe that, working together, we can't crush a single Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator!"

The other Tier 3 demonic beasts bellowed in response, echoing the silver demonic wolf's call.

And with that, they plunged headfirst into the Cloud Heaven Illusionary Array.

Trailing behind them, thousands of first-tier and second-tier demonic beasts roared in unison. Their dense demonic qi linked together to form a black cloud that blotted out the sun.

Further back, tens of thousands of ordinary wild beasts, their eyes crimson as they were driven mad by the pervasive demonic qi, unleashed chaotic howls. Like a bursting dam, they flooded into the array alongside the demonic beast army!

However, this was entirely different from their usual tactics of barging into a human city to trample and slaughter everything in sight.

Inside, the heavy mist and swirling clouds rendered them completely disoriented.

The roars of their companions seemed to echo from infinitely far away, yet at the same time, right next to their ears. More terrifyingly still, invisible hands within the mist seemed to be quietly separating and isolating them.

Without anyone realizing it, the densely packed beast tide was sliced into dozens of isolated smaller groups.

It was safe to say that from the moment they stepped inside, they were like flies caught in a spider's web.

And then, the slaughter began.

"Condense."

Jade Cold Pool.

Xu Mingxian's ten fingers flicked rapidly, moving nimbly like a butterfly flitting through flowers.

One intricate array incantation after another was activated.

Subsequently, the clouds and mist in every corner of the illusory array began to surge and coagulate violently!

At the very front, a mid second-tier Iron-Backed Mountain Boar was anxiously gouging the ground with its tusks.

Suddenly, the fog ahead churned, and a blurry figure stepped out from within.

The figure was entirely composed of white cloud and mist. It stood about nine feet tall in the shape of a human, with a faceless visage, and wielded a longsword similarly forged from condensed fog.

Its aura astonishingly matched that of a Mid Foundation Establishment cultivator!

A moment later, three more of these Cloud Soldiers materialized alongside it.

"Roar?" The Iron-Backed Mountain Boar froze for a second, then immediately charged forward to ram them.

One Cloud Soldier was smashed apart, but the other two plunged their misty swords—which were as hard as refined iron—deep into the boar's body.

The Iron-Backed Mountain Boar screeched in agony and violently thrashed its body, flinging the two Cloud Soldiers away.

Just as it turned around, intent on furiously trampling one of the thrown Cloud Soldiers.

The clouds from the first shattered Cloud Soldier rapidly reformed behind it.

Then, this reformed Cloud Soldier stepped forward and brought its misty sword slashing down!

The sword light was ethereal and feather-light, yet as fast as lightning. It precisely pierced through the mountain boar's eye socket, impaling its brain!

The Iron-Backed Mountain Boar let out a final, tragic squeal before crashing heavily to the ground.

Having accomplished the kill.

The three Cloud Soldiers trembled slightly before breaking apart into scattered mist, melting back into the surrounding white fog as if they had never existed.

A nearly identical scene was playing out simultaneously across every corner of the illusory array!

Although the Cloud Soldiers could not cast spell arts, they felt no pain, possessed no fear, and were entirely unafraid of death.

If they were torn to pieces by the demonic beasts, they would simply dissolve back into fog.

Yet, in merely a few breaths of time, the nearby mist would churn, and brand-new incarnations would condense out of the air once again!

Immortal, indestructible, and utterly endless!

As long as the array wasn't broken, or unless the controller, Xu Mingxian, exhausted his mana, the Cloud Soldiers would continue to manifest forever.

In an instant, the entire foggy area transformed into a horrific meat grinder.

The roars and tragic shrieks of demonic beasts, the crunch of shattering bones, and the bubbling, roiling sounds of the thick fog blended together to paint a bizarre and utterly ruthless scene.

Blood began to saturate the mist, dyeing certain sections of the array into a pale, morbid pink.

As for the five Tier 3 demonic beasts, they were personally greeted by the five siblings led by Xu Mingwei. Xu Mingxian was busy maintaining the array and was therefore absent.

Alongside them were Ye Fan, Xu Deling, Xu Deyue, and Mei Yun.

As for Xu Chuan, he had no intention of interfering.

He was treating this as an excellent opportunity for Xu Mingyuan, Xu Mingheng, and the other newly-advanced Golden Core cultivators to gain crucial combat experience.

Xu Deling's entire body was engulfed in soaring crimson-gold flames, and the phantom of a fire phoenix spread its wings and let out a resonant cry behind her back.

Clutching her Fire Phoenix Plume, her gaze locked onto the silver-white late third-tier demonic wolf with a crescent moon on its forehead. She charged straight at it without hesitation.

A heavy solemnity flashed through the Silver Moon Demonic Wolf's blood-red eyes.

It could clearly feel the oppressive suppression radiating from her, one that originated directly from her bloodline.

Howling loudly, its silver fur stood on end as a moonlight-like silver demonic power condensed around its claws and fangs.

The Fire Phoenix Plume conjured a sky full of blazing feathers, shooting downward in a concentrated barrage. Every single plume harbored the pale-gold true flames of a fire phoenix.

The Silver Moon Demonic Wolf's body blurred into streaks of silver light, weaving seamlessly through the gaps in the fiery barrage. Its razor-sharp claws ripped through the air, trailing icy lunar light.

When the two collided, crimson-gold and silver-white energy exploded, illuminating the surrounding mist into a dazzling dual-toned display.

But suddenly, two golden rays shot from Xu Deling's eyes, catching the wolf off guard and piercing straight through its abdomen. It yowled in agonizing pain.

Although it wasn't a fatal wound.

The Silver Moon Demonic Wolf immediately fell to a heavy disadvantage. It was forced to fight while retreating, its gorgeous silver coat charred black in multiple places.

Its defeat was merely a matter of time.

Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan were dealing with the other late third-tier demonic beast—the Black Flame Sparrow.

"Are you part of the Black Flame Sparrow tribe?"

"Human, you recognize my tribe?" the Black Flame Sparrow asked in surprise.

"Good. Then let me ask you: did a two-headed Black Flame Sparrow enter the Land of Imprisonment?"

"You actually know of His Highness?!"

"As long as it came in, that's all I need to know. Big Brother, let's start."

The Black Flame Sparrow was completely bewildered.

But Xu Mingwei had already drawn the Treasure Flood Dragon Bow into a full moon. spiritual energy condensed into numerous arrows, aiming directly to blow holes through its wings.

Even without knocking the Nine Origin Heavenly Star Arrows, the pure spiritual energy arrows fired by the Treasure Flood Dragon Bow still ranked at the absolute top of mid-grade magic treasure attacks.

Woven within them was Xu Mingwei's Dao of the Arrow true intent, which was rapidly approaching Minor Success.

The Black Flame Sparrow flapped its wings, firing off countless feathers engulfed in black flames to clash head-on against the spiritual energy arrows.

Even though the spiritual energy arrows were vastly superior in raw power.

The black flame feathers possessed overwhelming numbers. After they chipped away at the arrows' might, the Black Flame Sparrow could effortlessly rely on its innate agility to dodge the remnants.

However, Xu Mingyuan had already seen through its movements.

Condensing talismans out of thin air, he easily anticipated the Black Flame Sparrow's exact landing spots and unleashed precise, devastating strikes.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Xu Mingyuan's talisman attacks weren't outrageously powerful on their own, but even so, the Black Flame Sparrow was blown entirely out of sorts. Dozens of bloody feathers rained down into the sky.

"You're courting death!"

The Black Flame Sparrow screeched furiously, yet it found itself entirely unable to close the distance to the two brothers.

Every single time it tried to lunge closer, Xu Mingwei would ruthlessly force it back, followed immediately by another chain of violent talisman explosions.

If it hadn't been to let Xu Mingyuan test his new attack methods, Xu Mingwei would have already gone all out and ended the fight.

After all, having consumed the Withered Glory Pill given to him by Xu Chuan, his mana had temporarily reached the Late-Stage Golden Core level. Paired with his full set of magic treasures, his combat prowess was only marginally weaker than Xu Deling's.

Xu Deyue and Xu Mingheng were matched against the eighty-foot-tall mid third-tier Lava Burst Ape.

The giant ape was thoroughly berserk. Beating its chest with massive fists, magma showered down like rain. Every strike it brought down caused the earth to quake and the mountains to tremble.

Xu Deyue gave a crisp shout. The sword light from the blade in her hand cascaded like a crystalline waterfall. Wherever it passed, freezing frost rapidly spread out, instantly turning the splattering magma into chunks of solid black rock.

Xu Mingheng simultaneously unleashed his divine abilities and offensive magic treasures, throwing everything he had.

As for the air above their heads, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda floated securely.

No matter how furious the Lava Burst Ape became, it was entirely powerless to break through the radiant seven-colored light screen, a defense comparable to a high-grade defensive magic treasure.

"You big stupid lug, are you feeling pretty mad right now?"

"You actually dared to target our Dongxi Xu Clan. You are dead meat today!

"

Xu Deyue shook her head helplessly and executed the Vast Cold Sword Art. One overwhelmingly sharp, icy sword beam after another firmly suppressed the Lava Burst Ape.

Before long, over a dozen deep, gruesome wounds covered the giant beast's body.

Ye Fan and Xu Mingqing were squaring off against the Earth Dragon Rhinoceros.

This rhinoceros had exceptionally thick, rough skin. Its yellowish-brown scale armor was comparable to a two-pattern defensive magic treasure, and the white jade horn on its head was terrifyingly hard, easily capable of puncturing through mid-grade defensive magic treasures.

"Ye Fan, I'll restrict it. You lead the offensive," Xu Mingqing commanded.

"Yes, Sixth Uncle."

Xu Mingqing primarily cultivated the wood element section of the Five Elements Creation Scripture, inheriting the very same lineage as Xu Chuan.

His hands flew through hand seals. Streaks of azure light gathered and rapidly formed into countless thick vines, thoroughly tangling the Earth Dragon Rhinoceros and binding its movements.

After all, even though Ye Fan practiced the dual cultivation of Dharma and Body, if he were genuinely struck by that white jade horn, it would gouge a massive, bloody hole straight through him.

But with the vines restricting the Earth Dragon Rhinoceros, it was nothing more than a giant punching bag in Ye Fan's eyes.

Bang! Thud! Bang!

Ye Fan's fist seals were rustic and unadorned. His Heaven-Melting Fist contained the terrifying, monstrous strength necessary to shatter mountains. Again and again, his fists violently smashed into the tough carapace along the Earth Dragon Rhinoceros's flank!

After taking over a dozen of those earth-shattering blows, even the impossibly sturdy Earth Dragon Rhinoceros could hardly endure the trauma.

Countless scales splintered and shattered, and its internal organs ruptured violently.

Xu Mingqing, on the other hand, continuously wove hand seals to cast spells, making absolutely certain the rhinoceros couldn't break free from its bindings.

This served as the perfect practice to deepen Xu Mingqing's control over his own spell arts.

Xu Mingshu and Mei Yun handled the final beast: a giant silver-scaled python with a twin-hooked tail.

This python was nearly two hundred feet long. Its entire body was densely covered in fine silver scales acting as armor, reflecting a biting, freezing glare through the fog.

But its most dangerous attribute was its tail.

It wasn't a standard snake's tail. Instead, the tip split into two pitch-black, scorpion-like hooked stingers. They snapped in and out like lightning, shimmering with a dark glow that made it abundantly clear they were saturated in lethal venom.

Xu Mingshu slapped the spirit beast pouch tied to her waist.

"Screech—"

An ear-piercing eagle cry that could split metal and shatter stone echoed throughout the cloudy expanse!

The massive figure of a giant eagle, with a wingspan of almost forty feet, rocketed into the sky!

This was none other than the only Tier 3 spirit beast in Xu Mingshu's possession—the Purple-Azure Thunder Hawk, Xu Ying!

As for Xu Bai and Xu Hei, they were currently residing in the Azure Sea Forest.

Xu Ying circled high overhead, its sharp eagle eyes flashing like lightning as they locked firmly onto the massive python below.

It flapped its left wing, sending down several clusters of azure fire that plummeted like meteors. Simultaneously, it beat its right wing, bringing down jagged streaks of purple lightning that ripped through the air.

Lightning and fire converged, striking toward the silver-scaled giant python simultaneously!

The massive python hissed. Clearly recognizing the lethality of the attack, it didn't dare to face the blast head-on. Its silver-scaled body writhed and twisted in bizarre angles, narrowly dodging the combined bombardment of azure flame and purple lightning.

But right as it evaded, those two pitch-black hooked stingers shot out like venomous dragons bursting from their cave. They ripped through the air, lunging straight for Xu Mingshu!

It was evidently highly aware that Xu Mingshu was the primary threat.

Seeing this, Xu Mingshu let out a sharp, lovely shout.

Flipping her pale wrist, a pitch-black banner embroidered with ferocious dragon patterns unfurled fiercely in the wind.

This was the Black Dragon Flag, a mid-grade magic treasure that perfectly integrated offense and defense.

As the flag waved, black demonic qi billowed wildly. A deep, profoundly authoritative dragon's roar resonated from within the fabric!

A blurry phantom of a black-scaled dragon crocodile burst forth from the banner, radiating horrifying pressure. Even though it lacked a physical body, its immense aura—characteristic of a late third-tier demonic beast—shrouded the battlefield as if it were incredibly real!

The dragon crocodile phantom violently swept its long tail, easily batting aside the pitch-black hooked stingers.

Before its death, its strength had reached the absolute peak of the late third-tier. It was only half a step away from becoming a peak third-tier demonic beast.

Moreover, because it was a mutated species, its true combat power hadn't lost out to an ordinary peak third-tier demonic beast in the slightest.

Now that it had been refined into a demon spirit, its strength had naturally dropped from its peak, but it was still easily comparable to a mid third-tier demonic beast.

Its crimson dragon eyes stared down coldly at the giant silver-scaled python.

The overwhelming dual suppression of both bloodline and cultivation rank caused the giant python's movements to visibly stagnate as its instincts flared with high alert.

High above.

Xu Ying possessed an innate, natural advantage against snake-type demonic beasts as well.

Crushed in a brutal pincer attack between the two predators, the giant silver-scaled python simply lacked any ability to fight back.

Mei Yun watched, utterly dumbfounded.

These methods...

'We both successfully reached the Golden Core stage last year. Why are you so unbelievably outstanding?!'

"Stop blanking out!"

Xu Mingshu sharply reminded him.

"Yes, Senior Sister Mingshu."

As Xu Chuan's disciple, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Mei Yun addressing her as Senior Sister.

Of course, he was also Xu Wenxi's husband. However, because the generational gap was simply too vast, whenever he faced second-generation figures like Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingshu, he consistently addressed them as Senior Brother and Senior Sister.

With a flip of his hand, Mei Yun summoned a dark-gold large seal.

Waiting for the perfect opening, he hurled it ruthlessly straight toward the giant silver-scaled python's seven-inch spot.

The brutal impact immediately left it hissing in tremendous agony.

As for trying to lunge over and attack Mei Yun? That was entirely impossible.

After all, relying solely on Xu Ying and the dragon crocodile demon spirit was more than enough to execute it; it just would have taken slightly longer.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen minutes slipped by.

The Silver Moon Demonic Wolf, Black Flame Sparrow, Earth Dragon Rhinoceros, Lava Burst Ape, and the giant silver python were systematically slain one after another.

As for the rest of the demonic beasts and wild beasts, not a single one managed to escape the horrific slaughter orchestrated by Xu Mingxian.

The corpses of the Tier 3 demonic beasts were collected to be processed separately.

As for the thousands of lower-tier demonic beasts and the tens of thousands of wild beasts, sweeping them up was assigned to the Xu clan's descendants, disciples, guards, and the younger generation of their vassal families.

This massive cleanup operation was coordinated entirely by Xu Chonghui.

Soon, the crowd entered the foggy area.

When they beheld the sheer mountains of beast corpses stacked high, everyone drew in sharp breaths of cold air. Immediately after, an earth-shaking cheer erupted!

"My heavens! So many demonic beasts!"

"There's quite a lot of second-tier demonic beasts mixed in, too! It feels like there are dozens, maybe even a hundred of them!"

"There's the lingering aura of Tier 3 demonic beasts, too, but I don't see them. The elders must have already collected them."

"Well, obviously! With our strength, how could we possibly process the corpse of a Tier 3 demonic beast? We wouldn't even be able to scratch their hides!"

Unrestrained excitement practically overflowed from the faces of the younger disciples.

A profound sense of overwhelming pride swelled within their hearts.

"Look alive and move quickly! This entire area must be cleaned up within an hour. It probably won't be long before another massive wave of demonic beasts rushes over!"

"Yes, Family Head!"

The crowd replied loudly in unison.

They efficiently set to work processing the demonic beast materials: skinning hides, extracting cores, pulling tendons, stripping bones, and harvesting venom sacs and fangs. All of this would directly reinforce the Xu family's future heritage, providing precious resources for forging dharma tools, refining pills, and drawing talismans.

More than a dozen miles outside Dongxi.

The green-robed youth, the gray-robed old man, and the rest of the six Golden Core demonic cultivators had been waiting outside for over an hour.

However, ever since those demonic beasts charged into the grand array, it was as if they had crossed over into an entirely different dimension.

Not a single sound leaked out.

That stretch of wilderness felt like the gaping maw of some unfathomably greedy, giant beast, silently devouring everything that dared to intrude.

"What's going on? It's been over an hour. Just what the hell is happening inside?"

A Mid-stage Golden Core demonic cultivator's voice sounded incredibly dry and hoarse.

The gray-robed old man's brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes glued firmly to the patch of swirling clouds and mist.

But no matter how many times he repeatedly swept the area with his divine sense, it was just like throwing a clay ox into the sea—vanishing without a single trace.