Chapter 492: The Huangwu Zhou Clan

It was late spring, and from beneath the clouds, this place offered endless mountains clear and waters bright, willows green and peach blossoms fragrant—the scenery truly was not poor.

When Chen Hang landed on a mountain peak, his gaze followed the gentle river winding around the mountain, and just dozens of li away lay a sizable city, shops crowded like clouds, eaves and roofs tightly packed like dog’s teeth interlocked.

No one knew what festival it was today in this land, but every street and alley was nearly packed with people, shoulders brushing, elbows jostling, incredibly lively.

Shouts and calls rose and fell in a continuous murmur; a quick glance revealed this city was indeed densely populated.

In the past twenty-four years, Chen Hang had truly seen little such worldly bustle.

For a moment, he had no urge to leave, only standing quietly atop the peak, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

After parting from Fu Lao, Chen Hang did not linger long in that small realm.

Due to its proximity to Hongjing Tian, he first returned briefly to Moyu Luzhou, taking along Ge Ji—who had once guided and advised him—away from Moyu Luzhou, then sent a spiritual message ordering Wei Yuan to dispatch someone to escort him to Xu Du Tian.

Though Ge Ji was the scion of a noble house in Yucang Yao Kingdom, due to his lineage, he had never lived well there.

After helping Chen Hang capture Yu Xiaoyu and learning Chen Hang’s true identity, Ge Ji completely abandoned any thought of remaining in the Yao Kingdom and willingly signed another essence-blood pact to cultivate in Xu Du Tian, thus entering Chen Hang’s household.

After completing this matter, Chen Hang had, back then before the Zhengbu Jade Tree in the Yucheng Merit Hall, selected dozens of sect mission talismans.

Suppressing the rebellion in Xiping Di was merely one of them.

There were also others: slaying demons and ghosts, subduing evil and quelling bandits.

Thus, during these twenty-four years of traveling through countless realms, he had simultaneously fulfilled his sect’s mission talismans to accumulate more Dao merit.

At the same time, he seized the opportunity to sense the mysteries, hoping to quickly shatter the barrier before him and cultivate an inner landscape.

The years of frost and wind, the passing of cold and heat, need not be elaborated.

Chen Hang had witnessed the freezing of snow-capped mountains, the chilling austerity of ice and frost, and seen how gales swept the seas and waves rose like mountains.

He had walked the dark, profound plains, dealt with strange and inexplicable divine-monster hybrids, and slain until blood rained heavily.

He had also gone to the ferocious lands ravaged by cataclysms, where life barely clung on and reproduced, yet remained uncivilized—using knotted ropes to record events, farming with fire and blade, let alone cultivating Dao arts or opening the gates of immortality…

Now, the reason Chen Hang had passed through several realm gates, enduring hardship to reach Miaobao Di,

was not only to slay a traitor of the Yucheng Dao Lineage, but also to fulfill a long-ago promise.

Liuhuo Honghua Cave Heaven, Qilingzi—

When Chen Hang was still cultivating in the Changying Lower Courtyard, he gained fame by single-handedly challenging numerous aristocratic clans, successfully carrying his name to Xiao Ming Da Ze.

For this bold act, he was specially granted two talisman artifacts by the Yucheng Main Sect: the Purple Mi Treasure Robe and the Chen Shan Seal, stirring envy and resentment among many aristocratic families.

Later, as the incident spread, thanks to Jiang Daolian’s deliberate promotion, he earned the title “Crown of the Four Courtyards,” ranking alongside veteran lower courtyard figures like Xie Su and Sima Quantong, granted the rare privilege to enter Liuhuo Honghua Cave Heaven to seek transformation.

In Liuhuo Honghua Cave Heaven, Chen Hang encountered Qilingzi’s legacy and final writings within a subterranean palace…

“Yellow Dragon’s Gall, The Direct Instructions of Qilingzi—

Recalling now, this ninth disciple of Huoxia the Ancestor had been calm even at death, laying out all treasures before him, leaving them entirely to future generations, merely requesting his bones be buried in Huangwu Mountain of Miaobao Di; back then, the Yellow Dragon’s Gall was truly invaluable to me.”

Facing the howling mountain wind, Chen Hang’s thoughts turned to the past, and he could not help but shake his head in sigh.

Though later, during the Long Gong bride selection, he won first place among the Purple Mansion candidates, and Tong Xuan entrusted Ao Yang to deliver to him five types of supreme-quality primordial Five Elements essences, ensuring he lacked no external resources for filling and replenishing his Golden Core realm,

thus the Yellow Dragon’s Gall he obtained in Liuhuo Honghua Cave Heaven was never put to use.

But for Chen Hang, then a novice entering the cave heaven, to acquire such a precious treasure through a mere accidental trial?

Even with his temperament, he could not help but rejoice greatly, and had secretly remembered Qilingzi’s kindness ever since.

“Having received the legacy of the ancients, I must repay it. Previously, I had no time to spare, but now that I’ve arrived at Miaobao Di by chance, I shall go to Huangwu Mountain, then deal with that Dao Lineage traitor.”

Chen Hang’s resolve was now firm.

Having decided, he would not delay; at once, he urged his sword light again.

Far off, within the city walls, someone looked up and glimpsed a crimson rainbow streaking across the sky, like a fiery dragon twisting through the heavens, blazing with intense radiance.

But before the man could even cry out in surprise, in the blink of an eye, the rainbow vanished.

Above, only azure clouds drifted slowly, east then west; beneath them, the long river still wound around the mountains, washing away countless stains.

A thousand years ago, it was so; so it shall remain…

…

Five days later.

Miaobao Di, Huangwu Mountain.

A sword rainbow flew swiftly and halted steadily in the clouds.

As the sharp sword light gradually faded, Chen Hang stepped out slowly, gazing down at the landscape below.

The mountain was extremely steep, forests lush and dense; palaces and pavilions climbed the slopes, glittering golden in the sunlight, quite impressive.

Through the lingering mist between the trees, one could see streams of bright yellow earth qi rising, several zhang high, swirling playfully in midair before returning to the ground.

Soon they rose again, then fell, repeating endlessly without pause.

“Two Ren-grade spiritual veins. It seems Huangwu Zhou Clan, though greatly declined from its former glory, still retains some old foundations—otherwise, it could not have preserved this legacy.”

Chen Hang pondered.

Along the way, he had thoroughly investigated Huangwu Mountain’s history and understood its past.

Qilingzi’s original name was Zhou Peng, born into the Huangwu Zhou Clan of Miaobao Di—this was written in his own final writings.

According to Chen Hang’s inquiries, three centuries after Qilingzi was taken by Huoxia the Ancestor to cultivate in Xu Du Tian, Huangwu Zhou Clan erupted in internal strife.

The clan lord was secretly poisoned by several elder clan members allied with outsider patrons; before these elders and patrons could even secure their positions, they were driven out by the lord’s loyal followers.

For centuries, they traded blows back and forth, neither able to overcome the other.

Then, suddenly, the demonic sect Yinshi Jiao rose to power, and the conflict finally ended.

Since Yinshi Jiao seized Huangwu Mountain and made it their stronghold, the struggle for power naturally ceased.

The reason Huangwu Zhou Clan now repossessed Huangwu Mountain was because, thousands of years ago, Yinshi Jiao suffered a great upheaval, and the Zhou Clan seized the opportunity to unite and barely reclaimed their ancestral seat.

But after millennia of change, the Zhou Clan’s prestige was far weaker than when they crushed Yinshi Jiao; repeatedly failing in territorial expansion, many clan disciples had died or been wounded.

Now they could barely hold onto their ancestral mountain.

As for restoring their former glory, outsiders likely saw it as a joke…

“Though cultivators in this Miaobao Di know Huangwu Zhou Clan’s history intimately, when they mention Qilingzi Zhou Peng, they all shake their heads as if they’ve never heard of him.”

Chen Hang thought to himself:

“Is it because time has changed everything, turning seas into mulberry fields?

Or did Qilingzi never return to Miaobao Di after leaving to cultivate in Xu Du Tian, causing this situation?”

As he pondered, a clamor rose from below the clouds, growing louder.

Chen Hang looked down and saw two demon cultivators leading a charge at the mountain’s foot, followed by a throng of aquatic spirits and monsters—dragons, carps, turtles, snakes—all wielding swords and spears, numbering over a hundred.

The two leaders were a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl with deer antlers, red lips and white teeth, delicate features, holding an iron sword gleaming with cold light, taller than herself.

A sharp, piercing aura emanated from the blade, its light rising, as if it could effortlessly cut through steel and sever hair with a breath.

The other was a burly thirty-year-old man, as stout as a bear, clearly a bear demon—tall, muscular, broad-faced with a long beard; when he shook his arms, his strength reached ten thousand jin.

Around his waist hung a translucent reed fan tied with emerald silk cords; faintly visible on the fan were traces of thunder and fire energy, exceedingly extraordinary.

Huangwu Zhou Clan seemed accustomed to this scene; soon, their clan lord Zhou Zhen led a group of disciples down the mountain to confront them, various cultivation lights rising, equally formidable.

Before they exchanged more than a few words, shouts and curses rose louder and louder, the atmosphere tense.

In moments, as a sharp cry rang out, the deer-antlered girl could no longer contain herself; she launched her iron sword into the air and struck first at the most aggressive Zhou Clan member.

The Zhou Clan member’s pupils contracted, but his reaction was no slower—he hastily summoned a small shield shaped like a sun and braced himself to fight her.

This scene was not unexpected to Chen Hang; according to his inquiries, in recent years, Zhou Clan had not clashed with any major force, content merely to guard their own territory, cautious to a fault.

He thought a moment, raised a finger, formed a seal, and summoned a few clouds to conceal his form, then flew toward the mountain’s foot.

…

…

Cold light gleamed fiercely, darting through the air like a thunderbolt, swift as lightning!

Within the time of an incense stick, two skilled Zhou Clan members had fallen to the deer-antlered girl’s sword; even the current fighter was barely holding on through sheer courage.

His panting breaths made it clear defeat was only a matter of time—he could not reverse the tide.

“Lord, these demon cultivators have attacked our gates for the third time this month! If we don’t devise a response, nearby powers will soon treat Huangwu Zhou Clan as a soft target!”

As the battle raged nearby, a Zhou Clan elder clad in a pine-patterned cloud-crane robe hurried to Lord Zhou Zhen’s side, his face grim:

“Take Iron Horse Palace, for instance—a gang of horse traders who rose from being mere slave-merchants; the other day, when doing business with them, these scoundrels dared to raise prices, demanding more than the heavens themselves—when had such a thing ever happened before?

All because these demon cultivators come to provoke us, Lord! If this continues, our Zhou Clan faces destruction!”

Seeing the elder speak with such intensity, Zhou Zhen showed little emotion, only letting out a bitter laugh:

“What good plan do you propose?”

The elder gave Zhou Zhen a meaningful glance and whispered cautiously:

“What of the Shu Gong Zhi?”

At this, Zhou Zhen felt blood rush to his head; he barely closed his eyes and calmed his breath several times before suppressing his rage, then said coldly:

“I’ve told you all several times—you still won’t believe me!

I haven’t hoarded the Shu Gong Zhi for myself; I’m no dragon demon. Even if the Shu Gong Zhi is powerful, what use is it to me? Can it rival the position of clan lord?

In this situation, if I hid it away, could I sell it for magic coins? Or trade it for a spiritual vein?”

This was blunt and crude, yet the elder still doubted, muttering:

“Even so, the notion that some high cultivator reincarnated to collect a debt is too far-fetched. Not even the old dragon king believes it—nor do most clan disciples, who are half-skeptical—”

The elder was about to continue, but saw Zhou Zhen’s gaze, murderous; he forced a laugh and fell silent.

“Still… we must come up with a plan.”

Moments later, the elder could not hold back and whispered another suggestion:

“Let’s just go all out!”

Zhou Zhen saw the old man’s gaze fixed on the two leading demonic cultivators and silently slashed his neck twice.

Zhou Zhen was greatly alarmed and no longer cared about holding his breath—he shook his head frantically:

“Don’t seek death. Though the Old Chi Dragon’s methods pale beside his ancestors’, nearly nine out of ten aquatic spirits in this wonderland show him respect. If all demonic cultivators in the world rush at once, how many lives do you think we have to lose?”

“Besides, do you truly believe they’ve left themselves unguarded?”

Zhou Zhen’s gaze lingered on the deer-horned girl’s iron sword and the bear demon’s fan-like weapon, then he said bitterly:

“Unless we bring out the family’s ultimate treasure, we stand no chance against them.”

“And these two are extremely restrained—they only wound the Zhou clan members who fight, never kill, and even the wounds are light.”

“The Old Chi Dragon is a dignified elder. We must not overstep our bounds!”

“It’s hard to beg for mercy, and we can’t fight them—what are we to do?” the old man growled angrily.

Before Zhou Zhen could speak, the deer-horned girl nearby suddenly cried out:

“No good! The murderous soul in the sword has lost control—get out of the way quickly!”

The Zhou clan member dueling the deer-horned girl froze in shock, nearly breaking his rhythm.

He instinctively looked up and saw the iron sword suddenly blaze with blood-red light, emitting a roar like a lion or tiger enraged, a torrent of murderous aura surging skyward, filling all with dread.

The deer-horned girl tried to seal it with hand seals, but the sword twisted midair and slashed down—suddenly, a snow-white arm fell, mangled and severed.

Had the deer-horned girl not dodged in time, her head would have been gone too.

“No good! Why did the murderous soul lose control now? Didn’t your sister feed it Pure Heart Incense?”

The other leading bear demon, no longer calm, quickly pulled a fan from his waist and swung it hard, launching several bolts of thunderfire.

But the iron sword’s speed was astonishing—it effortlessly dodged the thunderfire before it even reached close range.

Then it spun midair, locking onto the weakest Zhou clan child in the field, aiming to take his life and drink his blood.

Zhou Zhen and the bear demon both rushed to intervene, but neither could stop it.

THUD!

As the child stood frozen in panic, the iron sword struck something impossibly solid and was violently flung dozens of zhang away, its momentum shattered.

Simultaneously, a faint human silhouette appeared in the clouds, as if gazing down at this spot.

The iron sword let out a piercing shriek; murderous aura surged like mist, light flared everywhere, then it transformed into a streak of blood-red light, slashing straight toward the clouds!

Chen Hang glanced at the murderous sword and made no other move—only raised a finger lightly.

BOOM! A deafening crash, as if a city wall collapsed and towers crumbled—the thick clouds above instantly shattered into fragments!

A blinding flash of light caused everyone in the field to panic, raising their sleeves to shield their eyes, hearts pounding with terror!

When all settled, the iron sword and its murderous soul had been utterly obliterated—not even a single fragment remained.

Moments later, before all eyes, Chen Hang descended from the clouds, landing here.