Chapter 269: Encirclement!

Although Ji You did not know the specifics of corruption or its cultivation methods, after prolonged pursuit, he realized that even if the Bu family members took on similar appearances, there were still differences between them.

These differences lay in physical strength, combat power, and the clarity of consciousness.

Bu Zun was of the same generation as Bu Qirong, yet his combat power was only comparable to his nephews Bu Yao and Bu Sheng.

As for the old one, he was essentially a gift.

Ji You flew through the air, his sleeves fluttering; with a light flick of his wrist, his iron sword vibrated continuously, its sword qi surging straight to the ninth heaven.

With each lightning-fast slash, the blade carved ripples through the air, compressing it until it exploded in sharp cracks…

Bu Zun's eyes bulged, veins splitting at the corners.

Actually, when the previous sword strike landed, Bu Zun had not been overly frightened—but after that "clang," he realized his soul was nearly severed from his body.

In a haze, he seemed to see his kind grandfather.

And as this sword strike came, he truly saw his grandfather.

In the final instant before his consciousness was erased by the sword qi, Bu Zun was filled with furious resentment.

When they first gained their immortal fortune, to avoid the covetous eyes of immortal sects, they had endured in silence, never daring to strike—but deep inside, they had long been starving for blood.

Just like Bu Yao and Bu Sheng, who went to observe the Heavenly Dao Assembly and saw everyone as trash, desperate to leap in and slaughter.

This restraint lasted until today; now, as the clan's annihilation loomed, he too had felt a fierce urge to strike.

In fact, he had hoped to encounter disciples of the immortal sects on their escape route, so he could tear them apart.

For over sixty years ago, he had envied those who could enter immortal sects to cultivate.

Thus, killing these prodigies would be a joyous release of all his pent-up bitterness.

This was not unique to him; many junior members of declining clans harbored such "rebellious impulses."

Such mentality stemmed from prolonged suppression, especially among the Bu family, whose power had surged after gaining the immortal fortune.

Yet the truth was, when he finally faced one, he was not pleased.

Bu Zun had never seen Ji You; in his final moment, staring at the towering man, his bloodied mouth could only utter two words: "Monster."

After all, they themselves, transformed into corrupted beings, were the true monsters—even Bu Zun had believed so.

But until he saw this young swordsman, he finally understood who the real monster was.

Boom…

Crash!

The heavy sword qi pierced through Bu Zun's neck, its momentum unbroken, slicing a clean gash across the rushing river.

Amid the spraying water, Ji You landed with a thud on the riverbank, his chest rising and falling slightly as he caught his breath.

With Bu Zun dead, the Bu family's members were nearly all accounted for—only Bu Qirong remained.

He looked toward the west, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Bu Qirong likely had few left with him; having endured such relentless pursuit and still failed to escape, he would have no further chances now.

But the problem was, the elders of the major immortal sects were not truly united.

Earlier, they had instinctively joined forces to search because the Dongping Mountains were vast; if each acted alone, even a small oversight could let the terrain-savvy Bu family slip away.

But now that they knew the target's location, that previous unspoken understanding would shatter—and they might even turn against each other.

If Bu Qirong could escape from an elder's grasp, it meant his combat power was stronger than imagined—and far harder to kill.

If he failed to escape and was captured, Ji You would have to kill him right under the immortal sects' noses—and that was no easy feat.

So what followed would surely be a brutal battle.

Ji You sat cross-legged; a flash of light appeared in his hand, and countless spirit stones flew out from his storage gourd.

Some were his own; others were gifts from the Bu family, thanking him for "reuniting" them.

To ensure rapid return, Ji You had used direct, overwhelming strikes each time, exerting full force—his consumption had been substantial.

He decided to use spirit stones to rapidly replenish, filling his dantian with spiritual energy to restore his peak state.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu now returned with swords in hand, beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads.

The recent slaughter had scattered blood into the wind, drawing many corrupted beings; they had guarded the perimeter, slaying many.

Seeing Ji You retrieve the spirit stones, they crouched down to shatter them, aiding his absorption.

"Master, you're definitely going to kill Bu Qirong next?"

"We've come this far—if we don't kill the last one, this whole mission loses all meaning."

"Those immortal sect elders are no ordinary foes; their depth far exceeds mere realm—they beg your utmost caution."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu shattered spirit stones as they spoke softly.

Those elders truly were no pushovers; some were ancient monsters who had secluded themselves for decades—even they had never seen them.

To ordinary sect disciples, merely encountering them induced crushing pressure—how much more so to face them head-on?

Ji You continuously drew essence from the spirit stones, dispersing it through his limbs and bones: "I'll be careful. Even if my combat power falters, they won't kill me easily."

As he spoke, he glanced at the shattered spirit stones, a faint pang of regret stirring.

He rarely used spirit stones—usually sold them for silver—this was his first time spending so lavishly.

"Do those elders carry valuables when they travel? Since they're elders, they must have deep reserves, right?"

"?"

Ji You's brow furrowed with seriousness: "If they don't carry valuables when they leave, that's just… annoying…"

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu exchanged glances, thinking their master wanted to rob everyone: "Master, if you're short on silver, ask the Master of the Mirror House—our Master has plenty."

"I'm not short on silver—but I can't let this trip be free. I've risked my life—I deserve compensation."

"According to our knowledge, the elders of Heaven's Sword Peak likely carry valuable magical artifacts…"

"Your Heaven's Sword Peak and your own Xuanjian Peak are still family—wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"Precisely because they're family, they should give Master a welcoming gift."

"Your logic… is oddly compelling."

Absorbing the essence from spirit stones took time; their idle chatter largely served to pass the time and ease their mounting tension.

After all, everyone knew what Ji You was about to do was perilous.

Moments later, all spirit stones turned dull; Ji You exhaled slowly, his blazing body beginning to radiate heat in rhythm with his powerful heartbeat.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu felt a primal pressure emanating from him, forcing them to step back slightly.

Yet at that moment, they noticed a mysterious glow stirring within Ji You, faintly surging toward the heavens.

The two women found the sight familiar—it resembled the signs of a cultivator about to break through.

But as Ji You dispersed the absorbed spiritual energy throughout his body, the mysterious light seemed suppressed, fading entirely as he swung his arms.

Zhuo Wanqiu unconsciously looked up—and saw the faintly brightening sky instantly darken, her eyes widening in shock.

Ji You slowly opened his eyes: "Time is short—I go ahead. Stay safe."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu nodded: "Yes."

Beneath the darkened sky, thick leaden clouds rumbled with muffled thunder.

Amid the thunder-clad heavens, violet lightning pierced through the clouds, shattering the firmament as if it were cracked glass.

Countless disciples of immortal sects advanced toward a high mountain in the central-west, battling corrupted beings spilling from the forest—fierce slashes and sword flashes howled through the air.

Since entering the Dongping Mountains, they had spent immense time surrounding the Bu family; this was the last unsearched area—and the most treacherous.

Behind them lay a pitch-black abyss; around them rose countless peaks, the shortest still towering over a thousand zhang.

The mountain they now stood on was even more magnificent—its area and height surpassed even the seven immortal sects' headquarters.

To a human, standing before it was like an ant climbing a tree.

Boom!

Amid flashes of spells, sword qi, and blade light, ancient cedars centuries old shattered and crashed down, tumbling down the slope into the cliffs.

Powerful energy surged forward, crushing the charging corrupted corpses.

But these pure corrupted beings feared neither death nor pain; once felled, they rose again—even with broken bodies.

And they moved with terrifying speed, descending from above like killing machines.

One misstep, and their venomous claws would pierce through flesh.

At that moment, a disciple of the Shanhai Pavilion leapt into the air, surging upward from the dense canopy.

To this sect disciple, his goal was to find the Bu family—killing these demons was meaningless. But as he rose, a pitch-black figure suddenly leapt from the mountain, razor-sharp claws slashing toward him.

Fortunately, the corrupted being attacked with brute force, not stealth—allowing the disciple to react in time and blast it down with a thunder spell.

The corrupted being shrieked as it tumbled over the cliff—but as soon as it hit ground, another leapt skyward.

The ancient remnants had always viewed humans as prey; even after death, their hollow shells retained their insatiable hunger.

High above, the elders of various sects stood with arms crossed, watching coldly—yet made no move to intervene.

A delicate balance had long been maintained among them—each evenly matched.

Thus, none wished to waste energy or spiritual power here.

In their eyes, only when the Bu family appeared would they strike.

Clang!

A sword qi, forged from dozens of Dao swords, surged across the battlefield.

The Heaven's Sword Peak disciples formed a sword array, using it to cleave a vertical path through the corpse tide.

Then, a figure leapt into the air, spreading his arms beneath the night sky—behind him, a sudden blaze of orange-yellow erupted.

Moments later, a fire spell coalesced, blazing red, and exploded into the charging horde with a thunderous roar.

The raging flames ignited the forest, instantly carving a fiery arc that swallowed the front line of corrupted corpses.

Meanwhile, others used the scent of blood to lure the mindless, ravenous corrupted beings away from the center and toward the periphery.

The mountain path gradually became clearer, and the remaining disciples rushed upward along the slopes.

Because before coming here, their own Elders had issued another imperial decree.

If they could find the Bu family, even without capturing them, they could exchange it for elixirs and techniques.

Some might even earn the chance to become direct disciples of these Elders.

But just as the disciples of the immortal sects surged forward, fearing they'd fall behind, a dark shadow suddenly shot out of the valley.

In the blink of an eye, a crushing pressure surged from the opposite side, followed by a claw that sliced through the air with a sharp crack—where it passed, the mountain rocks cracked inch by inch.

Boom!

The claw slashed down through the air, five icy finger marks falling like sharp iron blades.

In an instant, five disciples of Shanhai Pavilion and the body of Chen Shixian's clan burst open with a wet splatter, their blood drenching the cliffside, stirring up a sudden stench of iron.

"Wha… what is that?"

"A different kind of corrupted seed…"

Those on the slope instantly held their breath and looked up.

There, before them, a slender, hunched-over corrupted seed had landed, its bloodthirsty malice surging forth like ocean waves.

As it landed, seven more figures with nearly identical auras darted toward the four cardinal directions, their overwhelming pressure crushing down the mountain slopes.

Boom!

Tian Shu Academy had encircled from the east; now Qin Rong gripped his iron blade, lightning and fire swirling around its edge, slamming directly into that figure.

Before him, a pair of crimson eyes held nothing but a hunger for slaughter.

At that moment, Ji Jingyao flew in.

With two fingers pressed together, a white rainbow erupted, streaking along the ridge and crashing into the figure drenched in malevolent energy.

The three chief stewards of Tian Shu Academy were all Qiyuan-level experts, and Ji Jingyao's Splitting Void Force, fused into his finger technique, was no small threat.

Yet when that finger strike landed, the shadow merely flew backward, smashing through a giant tree—its entire body showed not a single wound.

"So strong…"

"Judging by its attire, it's a Bu family member—but it has no spiritual awareness, only killing intent."

Ji Jingyao landed gracefully and pulled Qin Rong back swiftly: "It's probably something like a death servant—purely made for slaughter."

Qin Rong stared at the figure radiating malevolence for a long while: "According to intelligence, eight servants guarded Bu Qirong. This must be one of them."

"But previous investigations showed that after the Bu family corrupted, they mostly retained their consciousness. Why are these ones so different?"

"Perhaps it was intentional."

"?"

Qin Rong turned to Ji Jingyao: "These four have extraordinary physical strength, speed, and power—perhaps they sacrificed their consciousness to gain it."

Although no immortal sect had uncovered any clues about Bu family corruption, various theories had existed before.

In their view, achieving corruption while retaining clear spiritual awareness—and then reversing it—was no easy feat.

Now it seemed the Bu family had another method: abandoning spiritual awareness entirely, yet gaining terrifyingly enhanced combat power.

In other words, though the Bu family had long lain hidden, never revealing themselves, they had long prepared for exposure.

Boom!

Eight figures radiating malevolent energy charged down the slope, their sharp claws piercing through forest and rock, hurtling toward the disciples below.

The cultivators who had come here were mostly at the initial stage of Fusion Dao.

They were not like young prodigies such as Jiang Chenfeng or Huo Hong, brimming with vigor; some were even nearing sixty.

Yet their combat strength was far from low—indeed, years of experience had given them more battle wisdom than those prodigies.

Still, against such terrifying power, they had no defense whatsoever.

Even those who reacted quickly, launching spells before the enemy moved, unleashed fierce attacks of thunder and fire.

But their spells shattered against the enemy's hardened bodies; the venomous claws sliced downward, and in an instant, corpses littered the ground.

Some things, when pushed to their extreme, become terrifying.

Whether it be physical body, speed, technique, or sword art.

"Don't move forward…"

Jiang Yan sheathed her sword and spoke to those beside her.

Disciples of Tianjian Peak—including Yan Qiubai—also snapped out of their frenzy, staring at the malevolent figures and retreating step by step.

Because no elixir or technique holds meaning if you're already dead.

But even as they retreated, the corrupted seeds that had been lured away now swarmed back across the mountainside, leaving them no chance to escape.

At that moment, the eight figures radiating overwhelming malevolence moved again, advancing like a tide of black mist…

Feeling the heart-shaking aura drawing near, everyone tensed—even Qin Rong, Ji Jingyao, and other sect stewards dared not face them head-on, retreating swiftly.

Seeing this, the Elders hovering in the sky narrowed their cloudy eyes and moved.

The first to act was Shang Yang, Elder of Wenda Clan.

As he took one step, his entire body erupted with mysterious energy; instantly, he raised his right hand, and brilliant white light blazed from his palm.

As if stealing a bolt of lightning from heaven, a thunderous roar crashed down upon one of the guards.

Boom!

Intense lightning exploded, briefly brightening the gloomy sky.

The corrupted seed struck head-on flew backward with a crash, smoke rising from its body as it shattered against the mountain rocks.

Meanwhile, Fang Lao of Tian Shu Academy drew a long blade and, before all eyes, slashed down the mountain—a heavy aura instantly crushed the peak, cleaving the charging corrupted seed in two.

The other Elders also struck with earth-shaking force.

These ancient elders had not fought in many years.

Even their own sect disciples didn't know what weapons or techniques they wielded.

Yet even as they neared death, they still possessed the aura of true masters.

But after such powerful strikes, they did not land; instead, their expressions grew even more grave.

In the next instant, from the dust and rubble of collapsing rocks, eight figures surged into the air.

At that moment, a sharp sword aura rose, standing brilliant and towering in the heavens.

Feeling the boundless power within that sword intent, the Tianjian Peak disciples trembled, staring at their unseen Elder.

Tianjian Peak had a sword art called Wind Returns to Clouds, extremely difficult to master, and ranked far from the top among all sword arts of Lingjian Mountain.

Thus, even when disciples were rewarded, few chose to learn this sword art.

But as that Elder raised his sword, they suddenly realized how powerful this sword truly was.

"I never knew we had such an Elder on Tianjian Peak."

"He's Elder Yan Cang, once famed across the land—though he's been in seclusion for decades, gradually forgotten. Wind Returns to Clouds was his own creation…"

(End of Chapter)