"Who knows how much time has passed before someone finally spoke, "Has he left?"
Only then did everyone seem to awaken from a dream, looking around frantically.
Once they confirmed that Chen Fan had indeed gone, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Some patted their chests, as if trying to reposition their hearts.
Others clumsily crawled up from the ground.
The more unfortunate ones hastily used their Inner Strength to evaporate the wet patches on their pants.
The pressure they experienced earlier was so intense that they had wet themselves.
Even the seemingly brave elder from earlier had collapsed into a chair, as if he had just been bathed; his whole body was drenched in sweat.
The gap in strength between the two sides was simply too great.
He had no doubt that if Chen Fan wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t even require a move; a mere glance would suffice.
"Unc, Uncle."
At this moment, someone swallowed hard and asked tremblingly, "Do we really need to convey what he said to the Elder Council?"
The elder glanced at him but remained silent.
"I, I mean, if the Elder Council finds out, won’t they blame us?" That person worriedly asked; it was clear to any fool that it was a blatant threat.
"Blame us? Are you overthinking this? Those words weren’t from us. If the Elder Council blames us, wouldn’t that be unreasonable?" Another voice immediately objected.
"Exactly, our Song Family lost two ancestors, the Elder Council bears a significant responsibility. They should apologize to us. Do we still need to please them?"
"If the Elder Council had any conscience, they would step up and avenge us without us saying anything!"
The more they talked, the more excited they became, their voices growing louder.
"Enough."
The elder interrupted them.
Where were these guys when speaking up earlier? Now they were all gutsy, but what good did it do?
And given their character, they would only say harsh words here. If they actually faced the Elder Council, they would probably be too scared to say a word.
He directed his gaze at Song Yong and the others, "Earlier, you were clamoring to divide the inheritance, right? How about now, do you still want to? Let me remind you, this time he appeared openly before us. Next time, who knows who might appear beside your bed."
The words made Song Yong and the others involuntarily shrink their necks.
Their greed did not make them foolish.
"Lucky for us, he only came to deliver a few words and didn’t take anything." A man said.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"No!"
Upon hearing this, the elder’s face changed drastically.
He immediately stood up and ran outside.
The others exchanged glances, puzzled.
What happened? Why the sudden agitation?
After hesitating for a moment, they followed.
When they saw the elder heading towards the forbidden area, they too panicked.
The forbidden area was where the three family ancestors resided and cultivated. It was said to be rich in Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. Even if one wasn’t a Celestial Realm Martial Artist, their cultivation speed would be much faster inside.
Unfortunately, only the present Patriarch could enter. People like them, if they dared approach, would be scolded at best and expelled from the family at worst.
Because the two Divine Demon-level Martial Arts were stored there.
Now, with the three ancestors already dead, the Patriarch was killed, and only a guard remained.
Could a single guard stand a chance against that guy?
The group rushed into the forbidden area.
There lay a corpse in the courtyard.
"Is that him?"
Many recognized the body on the ground as the guard in charge of this place.
But now he was dead.
What had happened was self-evident.
"It’s over."
The elder sat on the ground dejectedly.
He was still a step too late.
The others may not know, but he knew that the family’s Secret Realm was located within a Compass.
The Compass usually floated in mid-air.
Now, the Compass was gone, and the guard was dead.
He knew it; that guy named Chen Fan didn’t come here just to deliver some words.
His real aim was the Secret Realm and the two Divine Demon-level Martial Arts within it because those were the truly valuable assets of the Song Family!
Now those items were stolen, and his previous plan was foiled because although the Song Family had cultivation techniques, elixirs, and weapons, so did the families behind the five elders of the Elder Council. And theirs were even better. The only thing that could entice them was the Divine Demon-level Martial Arts and the Secret Realm.
Without these, even if they promised on the surface, they would mostly turn a blind eye and pretend nothing happened.
A few juniors hurried over to support the elder.
"Uncle, what should we do now?"
"Yes, Uncle, the Secret Realm is gone, and so is the Divine Demon-level Martial Art."
"What else can we do?"
The elder gritted his teeth and said, "That brat killed our Song Family’s several ancestors and severed our legacy. I’m going to the Elder Council now. Even just for the Divine Demon-level Martial Arts in his hand, the Elder Council will not let him off!"
...
In reality, the Song Family’s understanding was slightly off.
Because Chen Fan did not come here after visiting the main hall to take the Compass.
Instead, he came here first, took the Compass, and then went to the main hall.
As for how he knew the location of the Compass, it was simple; Song Tian had revealed it before he died.
In order to preserve a bit of the Song Family’s bloodline, he voluntarily disclosed the location of the Secret Realm and the Divine Demon-level Martial Arts within it.
One was the Six Gods Technique, though only the first two volumes.
The other was the Heaven and Earth Supreme Skill.
Just from the name, one can tell this martial art was extraordinary.
Legend has it that this martial art was created by the ancient deity Fu Xi, who comprehended the cosmos and all of creation, the Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements. With great wisdom, he developed an unparalleled Martial Art.
Fu Xi divided this martial art into three volumes: Heaven, Earth, and King.
The Heaven volume aligns with the four seasons, five elements, nine cycles, and 360 days of the year, and the human body corresponds with the four seasons, five internal organs, nine orifices, and 360 joints, the balance of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, guiding its cultivation—this is the Celestial Spirit Qi Technique.
Cultivating this volume could unify the inner and outer realms, extend lifespan by millennia, and grant boundless power.
The Earth volume is rooted in Yin, Yang, firmness, and flexibility, harmonizing the universe, channeling earthly essence to enhance powers and granting limb regeneration—this is the Earth Evil Qi Technique.
Reaching this realm allows one to absorb the essence of the earth, significantly boost powers, and even achieve limb regeneration, nearing immortality.
If one mastered the third volume, the body would become indestructible like Vajra, invulnerable to all elements. The Primordial Spirit could ascend to the heavens or enter the earth, reaching a true Supreme Realm beyond kingship.
To this day, the key third volume, the Supreme Skill, has been lost.
The Song Family only possessed the first volume, the Celestial Spirit Qi Technique.
With the help of this martial art, the fighting capabilities of the Song Family’s two Mid-Stage Celestial Realm ancestors exceeded the expectations of the Liu Family’s ancestor.
Unfortunately, the two didn’t cultivate the Celestial Spirit Qi Technique to its highest realm as they focused on the Six Gods Technique.
After leaving the Song Family, Chen Fan took out the Compass and examined it.
To confirm, he naturally entered to take a look, making sure Song Tian wasn’t deceiving him.
Coincidentally, someone was inside, acting suspiciously.
When they saw his arrival, they immediately shouted at him.
Chen Fan was not lenient; he killed them on the spot and tossed the corpse out.
The two Divine Demon-level Martial Arts were there.
Time was precious. Without further inspection, he had to visit the Bai Family, also in Baijiang City, to see if he could obtain another Divine Demon-level Martial Art.
And then the Liu Family.
He had to go there too.
As for other families,
The Five Great Families were already deadly enemies—no need to explain further.
Other families would depend on their response.