The voice of the eldest disciple was calm, yet it sent chills down Chen Ye’s spine,
"Master, to hold or not to hold?"
The tone of this girl was too creepy!
Chen Ye shuddered and had to cautiously hold his disciple’s waist:
"Alright then..."
"Master, wouldn’t it have been better to listen earlier..." Zhiwei’s voice carried a slight triumph. She chuckled, "Master, were you just scared by Zhiwei?"
Dammit,
So this girl was pretending!
Chen Ye snorted, gently resting his chin on the soft top of Zhiwei’s head: "How could a master be frightened by a disciple? Hurry up and control the sword, stop wasting time, quickly follow behind Master Xu, as your master doesn’t know the location of the He Family!"
The cold wind was like a blade, cutting across the red clouds.
The light of the Gourd Sword surged, steadily following behind Xu Changhe.
The Green Gourd is a Wood Series Flying Sword, more suitable for long journeys compared to other Gourd Swords.
"Master."
Zhiwei’s voice was still clear in the wind, she cautioned,
"Injuries to the Divine Soul are no small matter. Once we reach the He Family, do not carelessly use Spiritual Power. Leave the investigation to Master Xu and us."
Chen Ye let out a low "Hmm," his voice filled with fatigue:
"Rest assured, I understand. This Heart Piercing backlash was fierce, requiring quiet recuperation. But the matter of the He Family..."
He paused, his gaze directed toward the increasingly dense lead-gray clouds on the distant horizon,
"It’s too peculiar, the traces of a Golden Core True Man’s intervention are faint but have been deliberately concealed by some force. Without seeing it myself, I can’t be at ease."
In front of them,
Qing Jun stood on the Second Tier Lower Grade Xiaohan Sword, occasionally glancing back at the tightly huddled master and elder sister, her little mouth pouting, then with a huff turned her head away, focusing on controlling the Flying Sword, subtly increasing speed, trying to get away from the "unsightly" scene.
Seeing this, Xu Changhe shook his head helplessly and had to accelerate to keep up.
What on earth is wrong with this little ancestor?
Does she know the way?
Xu Changhe called out loudly: "Hey, Qing Jun, you’re going the wrong way!"
The little girl’s face turned red, knowing that her master and elder sister likely saw her make a fool of herself, stubbornly insisted: "Qing Jun is not wrong!"
Xu Changhe, bewildered, didn’t understand what had upset this little ancestor.
He could only smile wryly, "Right, right, you’re not wrong. But if you go that way, you won’t see Master!"
He barely found Qing Jun’s weak point.
Indeed.
Listening to this, the little girl reluctantly turned back.
...
After about half a day, a sight of ruins appeared at the edge of their vision.
The intense stench of blood, strong enough to induce nausea, assaulted them even from high above.
The once prosperous He Clan Territory had turned into a wasteland.
Charred beams stuck obliquely out of the collapsed walls, and under the broken rubble, remnants of bodies were vaguely visible.
As for the Clan Guardian Grand Array, it had been completely destroyed.
At the location of the array base, a massive pit remained, its walls smooth as a mirror, with remnants of glazed crystals.
"Gasp..."
Even Xu Changhe, accustomed to waves and storms, inhaled sharply upon witnessing this scene,
"What a domineering method! This is certainly not something ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators could accomplish!"
The group landed at the edge of the clan territory.
Xu Changhe had already sent a message, and soon, Xu Changfeng emerged from the depths of the ruins.
Beside him were three or four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, each with an extraordinary presence, presumably high-ranking members from various families of the Moon Rhinoceros Lake District.
Xu Changfeng’s expression was as grave as iron; seeing Chen Ye and the others, he finally showed a hint of a smile:
"Changhe, Taoist Friend Xu."
Xu Changfeng nodded slightly to Chen Ye, his gaze lingering for a moment on his paper-like pale face, and asked,
"How is that Demon Cultivator? Earlier, I was engaged with other Demon Cultivators in the He Clan Territory and couldn’t break free."
Xu Changhe quickly and succinctly explained the battle at White Poplar Villa.
"Mei Suxin was actually slain? Taoist Friend Chen... well done!"
A flash of brilliance appeared in Xu Changfeng’s eyes,
"But this wound... Taoist friend, it’s been hard on you. The situation here could be even more troublesome."
This time in the He Family’s ancestral land, over thirty Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators appeared out of nowhere!
Among them, there were six Middle Period Cultivators, each a monstrous demon with countless sins.
Moreover, there was even a shadow of a Late Period Demon Cultivator...
Most of these Demon Cultivators have infiltrated the Moon Rhinoceros Lake District.
Now that Chen Ye has slain a Foundation Establishment Middle Period Demon Cultivator, it’s essentially a major threat eliminated ahead of time for the Moon Rhinoceros Lake District!
"Taoist Friend Xu, what’s the situation?" Chen Ye asked, trying to muster his spirit.
"It’s unbearable to watch."
Xu Changfeng’s voice was somber as he pointed to the huge pit,
"The protective array was forcibly breached, the array base along with several tens of feet of land was directly erased! I originally thought Emotion Crossing Sect used some kind of sinister tactics, but never expected they forcibly destroyed the grand array."
Leading the group into the ruins, what they saw was horrifying.
All along the way were corpses, their deaths were tragic.
Ordinary He Family Cultivators had it somewhat better, dying at the hands of various Magical Artifacts, obviously killed by Demon Cultivators who rushed in after the array was broken.
As for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, their bodies were torn to pieces, seemingly shattered directly.
Such a brutal scene.
Chen Ye did not have his disciples avoid it.
Today, his disciples are almost Foundation Establishment Cultivators; they should see the dangers of the world and witness such bloodshed.
Zhiwei seemed fine, her expression unchanged, just a bit disgusted, as she always liked cleanliness and naturally disliked this scene.
Qing Jun, however, was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, saying she’s not afraid, yet her face was pale as could be.
Chen Ye secretly observed Qing Jun and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He remembered in the original plot, Qing Jun was exceedingly bloodthirsty.
It seems the current little girl has become a complete cowardly dumpling...this isn’t too bad, a cowardly dumpling is better than a sinister one.
"Alas... such mighty power, it must be a Golden Core cultivator, but..."
Another Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Li Family frowned, his expression hesitant.
Xu Changfeng asserted, "Impossible. The three great Demon Lords of Emotion Crossing are all restrained by our sect elders. Besides, the Moon Rhinoceros Lake Grand Array is no mere decoration."
Having said that, seeing Chen Ye seemingly in thought, Xu Changfeng assumed he was unfamiliar with Emotion Crossing Sect, thus he began explaining to the trio of master and disciples.
Although Chen Ye had already learned about Emotion Crossing Sect, Xu Changfeng’s explanation was more specific.
After listening.
Chen Ye seemed to suddenly understand.
Turns out,
The system of Emotion Crossing Sect is very different from Lingyin Sect.
Lingyin Sect is divided into two systems; either disciples dedicated to cultivation of various levels, or stewards and guardians handling affairs.
Whereas Emotion Crossing Sect treats everyone equally.
Within the sect, there are only seven branches, each practicing different inheritances.
There are three Divine Lords, namely Golden Core True Men;
Seven Venerables, namely Foundation Establishment Late Period cultivators.
There is no position of Sect Master; crucial matters are discussed by the seven Venerables.
Additionally,
Another crucial position is that of the Divine Child.
But the Divine Child of Emotion Crossing is very different from Spirit Hidden True Inheritance, for there is only one.
Every hundred years, a grand ceremony is held to select a young child as the Divine Child.
The Divine Child possesses outstanding talent, with each generation able to achieve Core Formation before the age of one hundred, though unfortunately, they also fall within that hundred years.
This generation’s Divine Child of Emotion Crossing Sect is only thirteen years old, already at Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, reportedly close to Foundation Establishment.
It sounds indeed impressive, Bai Susu only achieved Foundation Establishment at nineteen.
But this doesn’t indicate that the Divine Child’s potential far surpasses Bai Susu.
The Divine Child’s lifespan is less than a hundred, with no opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation.
While Bai Susu, if achieves Core Formation, can live for several hundred years, and upon Nascent Soul Formation, can extend life for a thousand years.
"What!! Is it another dumpling!"
The little girl was dumbfounded, exclaiming out loud.
Chen Ye’s old face instantly turned red with anger!
Fortunately.
Xu Changfeng didn’t understand the hidden meaning behind Qing Jun’s words, merely confusedly asked, "Hmm? Qing Jun what do you mean? Dumpling, what is it?"
Zhiwei coldly glanced at the little girl, Qing Jun then shut her mouth, smiling awkwardly.
She then explained:
"Taoist Friend Xu, Qing Jun always refers to exceptionally talented young boys and girls as dumplings. As for the reason... dumplings are round, in Qing Jun’s view, just like those immensely talented ones, perfect and flawless."
Xu Changfeng chuckled quietly, just considering it Qing Jun’s childish nature to like giving nicknames.
He said warmly:
"It’s quite a fitting nickname. Hmm, like our sect’s Bai Susu, barely can be considered a dumpling. Though slightly older, but her appearance, well..."