Starting From The Blood Lineage Genealogy To Build An Eternal Immortal Clan Chapter 328: Tier-4 Spirit Vein, Ninth Day of the Ninth Mont

"Damn it!"

The old man was both shocked and furious!

He knew that if he continued to fight, not only would he be unable to win, but he might even perish.

'There are countless opportunities in the secret realm. If I am injured too heavily, I won't have the strength to compete for other fortunes.'

The old man looked at Xu Deyue and gritted his teeth. "You win this ti. I will let you have this spirit dicine!"

With that said, he imdiately transford into a cloud of black mist and fled out of the deep valley.

"This is the Profound Soul Ice Lotus. Once it fully matures, it will be a top-tier fourth-grade spirit dicine. It can even provide so help in condensing a Nascent Soul, making it a precious treasure for healing a Nascent Soul's divine soul," Murong Yun sent a voice transmission, mocking the old demonic cultivator. She then added, "Extract it by the roots, place it in a vessel, and scoop up so of the water from this cold pool to take back. Your grandfather should be able to transplant and cultivate it."

"Yes, Master," Xu Deyue replied.

After doing as instructed, she began to form hand seals, using her bloodline as a guide to locate her son, Xu Chongfei.

The others were all quite strong, so she didn't need to worry about them and could slowly regroup with them later.

In a certain valley within the secret realm's mountain range.

This place was covered year-round by a thick, grayish-white fog. The dense mist disrupted divine sense, suppressing even Golden Core cultivators to a range of barely three hundred feet.

Moreover, the fog was composed of a dark, poisonous miasma that stretched for a couple of miles.

This toxic barrier was extrely formidable. It could dissolve mana shields, lt spiritual energy light screens, liquefy flesh, and dissolve bone. It was undeniably a perilous death trap.

Yet, deep within this perilous place lay a true heavenly grotto and blessed land.

Upon entering, Xu Chongfei and his wife were incredibly lucky not to be separated, and they were teleported directly into this very sanctuary.

"Husband, look at that. What is it?"

Following Chen Yulian's pointing finger, Xu Chongfei looked toward the center of the valley. There, an extraordinary spring lay arranged in a Taiji pattern—one yin, one yang, distinct yet harmoniously intertwined.

The left spring was crimson like molten magma, bubbling with searing heat and radiating a scorching extre yang aura. The right spring was icy blue like ten-thousand-year profound ice, emitting a biting chill, its surface coated in a thin layer of everlasting frost.

It was a rare Ice and Fire Spring!

Even more shocking were the incredibly pure streams of connate aura hovering about a foot above each spring!

Above the crimson spring danced an intensely condensed, writhing stream of crimson energy.

At tis, it manifested as a miniature, lifelike crimson dragon with flaring scales and claws; at other tis, it dissolved into pure, radiant flas, exuding intense heat and extre yang energy.

Above the icy blue spring, the blue aura occasionally ford the phantom of an ice phoenix or condensed into ice crystals, radiating an ultimate chill capable of freezing the very soul.

Both belonged to the category of connate spirit objects, and they were in the most supre, primal "qi" state, making them several tis more precious than solidified innate spirit grass or ores!

"Connate aura!" Xu Chongfei exclaid.

Connate aura was ford from a sliver of origin rules left behind during the creation of the world or the birth of a special blessed land. The vast majority of it would quickly dissipate into the world or attach to a specific dium to form other innate spiritual objects.

To be preserved in a purely gaseous state for a long ti, just like the ones right before his eyes...

Was truly an encounter rarely seen in ten thousand years!

Xu Chongfei could feel the intense attraction those two streams of connate aura held for him. Being extre yang and extre cold, they were an absolutely perfect match for his cultivation thod and physique.

"Husband, look around. There are so many spirit dicines! There are ingredients for the Foundation Establishnt Pill, materials for the Core Formation Pill, and many others I can't even na. This place is definitely a treasure trove within the secret realm!"

Chen Yulian's eyes brimd with excitent, her delicate body trembling slightly.

"Lian'er, carefully harvest these spirit dicines. Don't damage them. Dig them up along with the soil so we can bring them back for Great-grandfather to cultivate. I'll see if I can collect those two streams of connate aura. If I can, it will be a massive fortune for !"

"Go ahead, Husband."

The extre yang and extre cold auras were overwhelmingly terrifying. Chen Yulian couldn't even get within thirty feet of the spring.

However, Xu Chongfei possessed the exceedingly rare Fla-Cold Spirit Body of ancient tis and practiced the matching cultivation thod, Fla-Cold Nine Heavens, which allowed him to approach the Ice and Fire Spring.

Unfortunately, connate aura could not be collected by ordinary ans. Once it touched a postnatal object, it would either rge into it or dissipate into nothingness.

'Perhaps I can use my Immortal Foundation as a vessel, but I must make physical contact.'

His imagination running wild, Xu Chongfei actually stepped directly into the Ice and Fire Spring, enduring the erosion of extre yang and extre cold as his flesh was simultaneously scorched and frozen.

It nearly cost him half his life to finally extract the two streams of connate aura.

They transford into a miniature fire dragon and ice phoenix, coiling atop the Immortal Foundation within his dantian. Wisps of connate aura perated outward, constantly tempering his foundation.

Xu Chongfei swallowed a high-grade Jade Sprout Pill and a high-grade Hundred Herbs Pill to alleviate his injuries.

Only after half a day did he recover slightly.

Chen Yulian looked at him with a face full of worry. "Husband, you were too impulsive. If sothing had happened to you..."

"Our Xu family's providence is surging, and we naturally have the protection of our ancestors. The fact that we were teleported here together proves our profound fortune, doesn't it?"

"What you say makes sense, Husband. If we can take all these treasures out, our harvest will surely rank among the very best of everyone here!"

Xu Chongfei swept his gaze around. Seeing that all the spirit dicines had been collected, his face blood into a bright smile. "You've worked hard, my wife. However, the soil here should also be spirit soil. We can't waste it."

"Huh?" Chen Yulian was stunned. Was he going to scrape three feet off the ground? Was the dignified Cloudstream Xu family really this poor?

"Our Xu family rose to power quickly. In the end, our foundation cannot compare to millennial factions like the Mo family and the Lei family. Naturally, we can't leave behind this large patch of spirit soil."

"I'll listen to you, Husband," Chen Yulian replied, her lips twitching slightly as she began to dig up the dirt.

It took more than half an hour to finish the harvest. She then looked toward the dual-colored spring. "Husband, what about the Ice and Fire Spring?"

"We can take the spirit liquid. It's all Tier 3 top-grade extre yang and extre cold spirit liquid. But it would be even better if we could take this entire spring away. It's just a pity that with our Foundation Establishnt mana, we simply can't do it. Let's wait for now. Father and Mother will definitely co looking for us."

"Husband, I've scouted the surroundings. The area several miles out is completely surrounded by a toxic miasma. That miasma can even corrode mana; it's extrely terrifying. I don't know if Father and Mother will be able to get in."

"Let's not worry about that for now. The spiritual qi here is incredibly dense. Let's focus on cultivating with all our might first."

"You're right, Husband."

The two imdiately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.

Drawing near the Ice and Fire Spring, extre yang and extre cold spiritual qi continuously surged into Xu Chongfei's body.

He felt his Foundation Establishnt cultivation speed up by several tis compared to before.

At this rate, he would easily break through to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishnt within a few days.

Another half a day passed.

Xu Deyue flew to the outskirts of the valley, passed through the dense fog, and arrived right outside the toxic miasma.

"Fei'er should be in the valley."

Just as Xu Deyue propped up her mana shield and prepared to fly in, Murong Yun stopped her. "The toxic miasma here is potent. It will corrode your mana and your magic treasure's defensive light screen. You need at least Golden Core perfection, or the protection of a high-grade defensive magic treasure, to enter safely."

"If it's that formidable, how did Fei'er get inside?"

"It's likely due to luck—being directly teleported in. A place of great peril must house great fortune. Your boy has been blessed."

Xu Deyue pondered for a mont and murmured to herself, "According to you, Master, we'll need Sister Ling to co over if we want to enter this place."

Thinking of this, she began attempting to contact Xu Chongfei via a transmission token.

"Mother, are you nearby?" Xu Chongfei's voice was filled with pleasant surprise. He quickly replied, "Lian'er and I are both in the valley. We've obtained a great fortune and are perfectly safe."

Hearing the voice from the transmission token, Xu Deyue felt her heart settle. She then said, "It is difficult to break into this place. Your aunt will have to co over. Stay there and cultivate in peace for now."

"Yes, Mother."

Imdiately after, Xu Deyue began searching for Xu Deling.

In the entire secret realm, only the three of them possessed the Xu family bloodline, allowing her to use the bloodline tracking secret art.

anwhile, on another side of the secret realm.

Xu Deling was streaking through the towering mountains like a burning crimson teor. Relying on the bloodline tracking secret art, she was rushing toward Xu Deyue's location.

Although the opportunities within the Connate Secret Realm were important, she valued the safety of her clan mbers far more.

Even if it delayed her, she had to regroup with the others first.

Of course, if she happened to stumble upon an opportunity along the way, she naturally wouldn't hesitate to take it.

Half an hour later.

Xu Deling sensed the powerful ripples of an intense battle. The scale of the clash was unmistakably at the Golden Core level.

Flying over to investigate, she saw two late-stage Golden Core demonic cultivators in black robes fiercely battling an eighty-foot-large Lightning Eagle atop an isolated peak.

At this mont, the Lightning Eagle was already in a wretched state.

Its originally majestic steel feathers were fractured, scorched, and stained with blood in multiple places. One of its wings seed to have taken a heavy blow, causing its flight trajectory to tilt awkwardly.

Yet, its ferocity remained undiminished. It shrieked as it continuously spat out silver thunderbolts and swung its sword-like plumage.

"Elders of the Greedy Wolf Sect? They got in this quickly?" Xu Deling murmured to herself. "Makes sense. With a Nascent Soul leading the way, they naturally travel fast."

'Ah, a connate aura. So there is a portion of high-grade innate Geng tal here. No wonder those two provoked this fierce bird,' she thought.

Xu Deling carefully scouted the isolated peak, a faint smile curling her lips. "How can I refuse a free connate spirit object?"

She imdiately flew toward the battlefield.

The two late-stage Golden Core elders of the Greedy Wolf Sect coordinated flawlessly—one wielding a bloody long saber, the other controlling a Mother-Child Yin Soul Sword.

The intersecting saber light and sword shadows ford an inescapable net, firmly trapping the Sword-Feather Lightning Eagle and continuously inflicting new wounds upon its body.

Suddenly, a blazing beam of fire struck toward them.

"Who goes there?!"

"The Greedy Wolf Sect is conducting business here. Unrelated personnel, get lost!"

The two shouted sternly, trying to drive the intruder away.

Hearing this, the smile on Xu Deling's face turned icy, and golden flas danced in her eyes. "If True Lord Heavenly Wolf were here, I might be sowhat wary. But do the two of you think you're worthy?"

Before her voice even faded, she ruthlessly launched an attack!

The phantom of a Fire Phoenix materialized behind her, letting out an angry cry.

With a wave of her jade-white hand, the crimson feather magic treasure in her grasp transford into a heaven-shaking rainbow of fire, shooting straight at the elder controlling the Mother-Child Yin Soul Sword!

Wherever the fiery streak passed, the air itself twisted and warped from the intense heat!

"A high-grade magic treasure?!" The terrifying might of the attack made the two n's expressions change drastically.

At the sa ti, Xu Deling patted her spirit beast pouch. "Xiao Hong, co out and get to work. I'll leave that Sword-Feather Lightning Eagle to you. It's heavily injured, so don't tell you can't take it down."

"Understood, Master!"

The Four-winged Chongming Bird burst forth, its body rapidly expanding against the wind until it reached an imposing size of nearly eighty feet.

A wave of bloodline pressure imdiately crashed down upon the eagle, causing it to tremble slightly.

However, the Sword-Feather Lightning Eagle quickly overca it and engaged the Four-winged Chongming Bird in fierce combat.

Xu Deling focused her attention on dealing with the two n.

She primarily targeted one of them. After a re five or six strikes, she shattered the defensive magic treasure's light screen of the elder wielding the Yin Soul Sword. Then, a faint golden light flared in her dual pupils.

Two streaks of golden light instantly pierced through his chest, making him scream in agony.

Seeing this, the other elder seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Xu Deling, but she paid him absolutely no mind.

The man gripped his blood saber and slashed down heavily, only for the strike to be blocked by a crimson light screen that abruptly materialized around her body. The light screen rely trembled slightly.

"You actually have a high-grade defensive magic treasure?!" the blood saber elder exclaid in shock.

Xu Deling attacked furiously, deflecting all the Mother-Child Yin Soul Swords. With a single palm strike, she shattered the injured elder's heart ridians, his life force rapidly dissipating.

"Elder Yin Soul!"

The blood saber elder stared in disbelief. A powerful late-stage Golden Core expert had died just like that.

But who could bla him when Xu Deling's strength was so overwhelming? She possessed a major success divine ability, the ancient Fire Phoenix bloodline, had stepped into the mid-stage Golden Core realm, and possessed high-grade magic treasures. She was significantly stronger than true lord-level experts who had yet to reach Golden Core perfection.

Even soone like True Lord Heavenly Wolf could only manage to slightly suppress her.

"Flee!"

The blood saber elder didn't have ti to grieve. He imdiately turned to run, but the mont he did, a massive silver hamr forcefully tore through his divine soul's defenses and smashed into his sea of consciousness.

The blow left him with a splitting headache, nearly making him lose his ability to maintain flight.

In the very next instant.

Two beams of golden eye-light shot out, violently piercing through his dantian and heart, killing him on the spot.

'Divine sense secret thods are indeed useful!'

Xu Deling extracted the two n's Golden Cores and remnant souls, sealing them with a secret thod to prevent them from dissipating. Then, she transferred the items from their storage pouches, along with their corpses, into her spatial bracelet.

This was a gift from Xu Chuan, a spatial artifact no less spacious than her own spatial ring.

Only then did she turn to help the Four-winged Chongming Bird.

Ard with a high-grade magic treasure, the major success divine ability "Fire Emperor's True Pupil", and the overwhelming pressure of the Fire Phoenix.

In less than the ti it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Sword-Feather Lightning Eagle was also slain.

As for why she killed it, the reason was obvious. A late-stage Tier 3 demonic beast was a treasure trove from head to toe.

Xu Deling retrieved the piece of innate Geng tal from the isolated peak and also collected all the Tier 3 and Tier 4 spiritual materials in the area before continuing on her way.

Several hours later.

The two won t up, and Xu Deyue explained Xu Chongfei's situation.

"Since that place is dangerous and ordinary Golden Cores can't enter, it's best to let Fei'er and his wife stay there," Xu Deling pondered for a mont before deciding. "Bringing them along would only tie our hands."

"What you say makes sense, Sister Ling. We'll do as you suggest."

"Let's go find Ye Fan and the others. The Concentric Ring you're wearing should be able to sense his location."

"Alright."

At that mont, Ye Fan was locked in brutal combat with a late-stage Tier 3 demonic beast. The beast's lair also contained a high-grade innate spirit object.

Unfortunately, with his current strength, while he had so chance of killing a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, slaying a late-stage Tier 3 demonic beast was an extrely slim prospect.

'Ah, Deyue's aura is approaching my location.'

The corners of Ye Fan's lips curled up. He instantly dismissed the thought of retreating and continued to tangle with the Crimson Fla Blood Mastiff Lion.

More than half an hour later.

"Sister Ling is here too. Even better!"

Ye Fan relayed the situation via voice transmission, and the two won imdiately joined the fray.

Sword light crisscrossed as the Fire Phoenix soared into the sky.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, the trio slew the Crimson Fla Blood Mastiff Lion and then rcilessly plundered its lair.

"There's actually a Tier 3 low-grade spirit vein here! Take it!"

After carefully sensing it, Xu Deling imdiately made her move to extract it.

In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. It took more than a full quarter of an hour for the tremors to cease.

The trio left the area. While searching for spirit dicines, spiritual materials, and spirit veins, they also tracked down Perfected Person Fire Cloud and the others. Along the way, they casually robbed quite a few Foundation Establishnt cultivators.

Anyone capable of surviving alone in the secret realm up to this point was undoubtedly ruthless.

So, the trio held nothing back.

Those who refused to cooperate were cleanly disposed of.

One day, two days, three days passed.

Xu Deling and her companions successively located Perfected Person Fire Cloud, Perfected Person Green Cliff, and Chen Changge.

The number of Golden Core cultivators roaming the secret realm was also increasing.

However, almost everyone they encountered ended up being plundered by them.

Naturally, they also crossed paths with True Lord Heavenly Wolf, True Lord Green Wood, and their ilk. After a brief exchange of blows where neither side could gain the upper hand in a short ti, they all went their separate ways.

In the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived.

Xu Deling received a transmission from Lei Wuji. He had discovered a Tier 4 spirit vein and several Tier 3 high-grade spirit veins, but they were currently facing off against nurous Greedy Wolf Sect elders.

She imdiately led Ye Fan and the rest toward the location, while also attempting to transmit a ssage to True Lord Fierce Sun and his group, who coincidentally happened to be within transmission range.

Upon hearing Xu Deling's ssage, they promised to rush over as quickly as possible.

At the location of the towering ancient trees.

In midair, Lei Wuji's hair and beard stood on end, arcs of lightning coiling around his entire body. Gripping a long halberd, he, alongside three other Golden Core elders of the Lei family, stood against six Greedy Wolf Sect elders!

Fighting one against three, Lei Wuji relied on his fierce and domineering lightning techniques to pin down one late-stage and two early-stage Golden Core cultivators.

The others each fought a single opponent.

Above the forest, various bolts of lightning, demonic light, and magic treasures continuously collided in the sky. Deafening explosions echoed relentlessly, and the shockwaves leveled entire swaths of ancient trees below.

Yet, neither side could overwhelm the other!

"Lei Wuji! Stop your stubborn resistance!"

The late-stage Golden Core elder of the Greedy Wolf Sect shouted sternly while urging a black banner to unleash rolling clouds of demonic energy. "My Greedy Wolf Sect is determined to obtain the spirit veins here! Our sect's True Lord Heavenly Wolf is already on his way.

"Once he arrives, you won't be able to escape even if you want to!

"If you know what's good for you, retreat now, and you might just keep your lives!"

Another Greedy Wolf Sect elder added sinisterly, "Even if you luckily succeed, so what?

"Our Sect Master is personally standing guard outside the secret realm right now.

"Even if you seize the spirit veins, you won't be able to take them with you. In the end, you'd rely be handing them over to our sect as a wedding dress!"

Hearing this, Lei Wuji's heart inevitably sank.

'True Lord Heavenly Wolf is manageable. With the strength the Xu family brought in combined with my Lei family, we can certainly defeat him. But the Greedy Wolf Sect Master, a mid-stage Nascent Soul demon...'

Although he harbored these concerns in his heart, he still shouted, "Stop your yamring! If you want the spirit veins, take them with your own strength. If you expect my Lei family to hand them over on a silver platter, keep dreaming!"

Half an incense stick of ti later.

Demonic clouds churned in the southwestern sky, and a ferocious, tyrannical aura—one that had reached Golden Core perfection—swept over like a tempest!

The newcor was none other than True Lord Heavenly Wolf, and accompanying him were three Golden Core elders.

Two were at the late stage, and one was at the mid stage.

The pressure on Lei Wuji and the three elders instantly multiplied, and thoughts of retreat began to sprout in their minds.

True Lord Heavenly Wolf stood proudly in the air. His gaze swept over the Lei family mbers like a sharp blade as he commanded indifferently, "Kill them!"

The three Golden Core elders beside him instantly joined the fray.

"Who dares to kill a guest elder of my Xu family?!"

A sharp, delicate shout tore through the sky like a thunderclap.

Imdiately after, a clear, resounding phoenix cry erupted from the northeast!

Xu Deling, leading Ye Fan, Xu Deyue, and the others, tore through the air and arrived!

The phantom of a Fire Phoenix shrieked fiercely, its golden true flas scorching the air with terrifying might.

"You're here."

Lei Wuji imdiately let out a sigh of relief. Had they arrived even half a mont later, he would have had to fight his way out and flee.

"Fairy 'Feng Ling', you want a piece of this too?" True Lord Heavenly Wolf's gloomy gaze swept over Xu Deling and her group, lingering specifically on Xu Deling for a mont.

"My Xu family is taking the spirit veins here!"

Xu Deling stepped forward, her crimson dress fluttering amid the true flas. Golden fire danced in her eyes as she stared directly at True Lord Heavenly Wolf, her voice resolute and decisive. "True Lord Heavenly Wolf, if you object, then let's fight again!"

Though Xu Deling was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, she displayed absolutely no fear when facing True Lord Heavenly Wolf, a demonic cultivator at Golden Core perfection.

Although the number of Golden Core cultivators on both sides was equal, she alone could pin down True Lord Heavenly Wolf, while Lei Wuji, Ye Fan, and Xu Deyue completely outclassed the late-stage Golden Core cultivators of the Greedy Wolf Sect.

Furthermore, Perfected Person Fire Cloud and the others all possessed mid-grade magic treasures, giving them a clear upper hand.

"You think I'm afraid of you?!"

"Kill them!"

Without wasting any more words, True Lord Heavenly Wolf let out a harsh roar and struck first!

Moving like a bolt of lightning, he transford into the ferocious phantom of a wolf and lunged straight at Xu Deling. Slashing out with both claws, he brought with him pitch-black demonic energy and a foul wind, intent on suppressing her with lightning speed.

Xu Deling let out a clear, piercing cry. The Fire Phoenix phantom behind her shrieked into the heavens as her feather fla magic treasure transford into an earth-shattering fiery rainbow to et the attack!

Golden flas and demonic claws collided with a deafening boom, unleashing an eardrum-shattering explosion and a tidal wave of violent energy.

Xu Deling's body swayed slightly, but she didn't retreat a single step. The Fire Phoenix true flas actually began to burn the demonic energy, emitting sizzling sounds as she completely halted True Lord Heavenly Wolf's fierce assault.

On the other side, Ye Fan let out a long roar. Bathed in golden Sanskrit light, he charged like a humanoid Tyrannosaurus at a late-stage Golden Core elder of the Greedy Wolf Sect. His punches carried the weight of mountains, fiercely unyielding, forcing his opponent into a continuous retreat.

Arcs of lightning exploded around Lei Wuji. Wielding his long halberd, he easily suppressed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, leaving his opponent groaning in misery.

After all, Lei Wuji was an eighth-layer Golden Core expert with a major success divine ability.

Xu Deyue's sword light was like moonlight—cold, aloof, and razor-sharp. She engaged the final late-stage Golden Core elder.

Relying on the power of Supre Yin and her mid-grade defensive magic treasure, the Ice Soul Mirror, she tightly suppressed her foe as well.

Chen Changge, Perfected Person Fire Cloud, and the rest also found their respective opponents and threw themselves into the slaughter.

The remaining Golden Core elders of the Lei family paired off in one-on-one duels, handling the battle with relative ease.

In an instant, the sky above the towering ancient trees devolved into a chaotic battlefield!

Phoenix cries, wolf howls, thunderclaps, howling fists, whistling swords, and demonic roars intertwined into a single cacophony.

Golden flas, demonic light, lightning, moonlight, and the radiant glows of various magic treasures continuously clashed and annihilated one another. The berserk energy snapped the massive trees below in droves and fractured the ground, churning the ambient spiritual qi into complete disarray.

The battle seed deadlocked, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that as ti passed, the Greedy Wolf Sect elders—excluding True Lord Heavenly Wolf—were already showing signs of crumbling under the fierce onslaught of Lei Wuji, Ye Fan, and the others.

In at most half an incense stick of ti, casualties were bound to occur.

True Lord Heavenly Wolf found a brief mont to scan the rest of the battlefield, feeling a mix of shock and fury.

During their previous encounter, they had only briefly exchanged blows. But now, even going all out, he still couldn't take down Xu Deling.

Xu Deling's offensive power was a notch below his, but ard with a high-grade defensive magic treasure, he simply couldn't touch her.

'I could perhaps use a secret thod to turn the tide, but once the ti limit expires, many of my n will undoubtedly perish.'

Just as he was deliberating.

Three streaks of light suddenly flew over from the southwest.

The aura of the person in the middle was similar to True Lord Heavenly Wolf's own—soone at Golden Core perfection.

"Fierce Sun and his group have arrived as well!"

True Lord Heavenly Wolf furrowed his brows. Thinking of the other opportunities remaining in the secret realm, he decisively ordered, "Everyone, fall back!"

The elders of the Greedy Wolf Sect imdiately unleashed bursts of power to force their opponents back, before rushing to True Lord Heavenly Wolf's side. The mbers of the Xu and Lei families didn't dare pursue them recklessly.

"Xu Deling, you win this ti. But even if you take the spirit veins, you won't be able to bring them out!"

With that parting threat, he turned and departed with the Greedy Wolf Sect elders.

At this mont, the three incoming streaks of light landed, revealing True Lord Fierce Sun, True Lord Yanzhen, and their companion.

"Senior Brother Fierce Sun, Senior Brother Yanzhen, you've arrived."

True Lord Fierce Sun nodded slightly. His divine sense swept over the area below, a look of joy appearing on his face as he smiled faintly. "It truly is a Tier 4 spirit vein, and it feels like it's higher than just Tier 4 low-grade."

Xu Deling said, "Senior Brother Fierce Sun, my Xu family has great use for the spirit vein here."

"Understood. I won't fight you for it. Even if I tried, I could never win against a lineup like yours," he replied.

"Senior Brother Fierce Sun jests."

Xu Deling then looked toward Lei Wuji. Lei Wuji spoke up, "Our Lei family understands. As I am currently a guest elder of the Xu family, and my family has pledged to serve the Xu family for ten years, this spirit vein naturally belongs to the Xu family."

"Thank you," Xu Deling laughed as she cupped her fists. "I will report the Lei family's discovery of this spirit vein to my grandfather. He certainly won't be stingy with the rewards."

"Then Elder Lei, Senior Brother Fierce Sun, and Senior Brother Yanzhen—let the four of us combine our strength to extract the Tier 4 spirit vein here, while the others extract the Tier 3 ones."

"Alright."

After pinpointing the boundaries of the Tier 4 spirit vein, the four experts positioned themselves at the four cardinal directions and began channeling their mana.

For a ti, the mountains roared as earth and stone cracked open.

Five-colored rosy light spewed forth from the fissures in the ground, illuminating the sky.

Spirit veins inherently possessed a degree of sentience and refused to be easily suppressed, constantly unleashing tides of spiritual qi to break through the blockade.

The four experts unleashed their mana to the fullest, maintaining a grueling stalemate that lasted for a full three hours.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom—sounding like both a dragon's roar and a mournful wail—echoed from deep underground. A condensed, dazzling, and majestic river of light was forcefully ripped out from the earth's core!

Its spiritual qi was incredibly pure and dense, far exceeding their expectations. Phantoms of mountains and rivers seed to flow within its brilliant luminescence.

"Seal!" Xu Deling's hands moved with the rapid agility of a butterfly flitting through flowers. Streaks of mana shot out, transforming into a crimson net of light that wrapped around the vein layer by layer.

The other three simultaneously cast sealing incantations as well.

The Tier 4 spirit vein struggled and contracted until it finally shrank into a translucent, jade-like ribbon roughly three feet long. Radiating a warm, gentle glow, it fell smoothly into a profound jade box.

"To think it's a Tier 4 mid-grade spirit vein. The Xu family is truly blessed," True Lord Fierce Sun said with a faint smile, stroking his beard.

Xu Deling stroked the jade box in delight and thanked the others.

Glancing at the jade box, True Lord Fierce Sun cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations, Junior Sister. Since the fortune here has been settled, I will lead my people elsewhere to seek other opportunities."

With that, he transford into a streak of light and departed.

Lei Wuji also bade his farewells, leading his clansn to search for their own fortunes.

Xu Deling securely stored away the spirit vein. Seeing the earth's spiritual qi gradually dissipating, leaving behind a scarred and devastated landscape, she said to Ye Fan and the others, "Let's move out as well."

Nurous streaks of light ascended, disappearing into the vast, distant mountains.

anwhile.

In the Heavenly Azure Prefecture, Cloudstream City.

Within the Xu Residence, Moyue's massive body, roughly thirty feet long, coiled impatiently in midair. His pale golden vertical pupils burned with intense anticipation. "Xu Chuan, the ninth day of the ninth month has arrived. Isn't it ti for my tribulation transcendence? This seat is burning with anxiety from all this waiting."

Xu Chuan shook his head with a soft chuckle before nodding. "Go ahead. The skies above Cloud Lake will be your tribulation grounds. Rember to stay far away from Cloudstream City. The city protection grand array cannot withstand the strike of heavenly thunder."

"I know!"

"This seat is off!"

Before his voice even faded, the pale blue phantom of a flood dragon soared into the sky, shooting straight toward Cloud Lake outside the northern part of the city. He didn't stop until he was a full thirty miles away.

Arriving above the lake's surface, Moyue abruptly halted his montum.

The spiritual qi in the surrounding area seed to be pulled by an invisible force. Billowing clouds gathered from all directions, condensing in the blink of an eye into leaden, ink-black storm clouds that hung ominously low over the water.

Amid the churning sea of clouds, a clear, resounding dragon's roar shattered the heavens, and Moyue boldly revealed his true form.

His imnse, one-hundred-and-fifty-foot flood dragon body stretched across the firmant. His dark blue scales shimred with an aqueous luster, his four claws flexed nacingly beneath his belly, and his long tail churned the wind and clouds.

He road and coiled wildly within the dense storm clouds. Then, throwing off all restraint, he unleashed the entirety of his majestic, peak Tier 3 demonic energy!

Boom—!

A terrifying spiritual pressure cascaded down like a tidal wave. The surface of Cloud Lake abruptly sank by several feet, and countless spirit fish swimming beneath didn't even have ti to struggle before they floated up, bellies white, knocked completely unconscious.

Back in Cloudstream City, nurous people felt this horrifying pressure.

"What's happening?!"

"Could it be another beast tide attack?"

"No, the pressure is coming from the north. That's Cloud Lake, but I've never heard of any powerful demonic beast lurking there!"

Countless cultivators surged toward the northern district of the city.

The skyward radiance of the demonic energy dyed the boundless sea of clouds a deep, abyssal blue, as if the entire firmant had transford into his personal domain.

Before long, low rumbles of thunder rolled out from the depths of the clouds, echoing like the heavy breathing of a prival behemoth, growing louder by the second.

Xu Chuan's figure quietly appeared in the sky above the northern city gate. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttered gently in the wind.

He gazed calmly at the churning ink clouds and the towering pillar of demonic energy thirty miles away.

In no ti, streaks of flying light continuously ascended from Cloudstream City.

Startled by the celestial phenonon in the northern sky, nurous Qi Refining and Foundation Establishnt cultivators hurried to the city walls or hovered in midair on their magical artifacts to peer into the distance.

All they saw were rolling ink-black clouds and a pillar of demonic energy piercing the heavens, dyeing that patch of sky an ominous, profound blue.

The low rumble of thunder arrived in waves. Even from such a distance, they could still sense the faint, overwhelming pressure and the restless turbulence of the heaven and earth spiritual qi.

"What a terrifying demonic aura! Could a mighty demonic beast be attacking the city?" a young late-stage Qi Refining cultivator asked, his face pale and voice trembling with panic.

A middle-aged Foundation Establishnt cultivator standing beside him observed carefully for a mont before shaking his head. "Unlikely. If it were a true city siege, the demonic clouds would have long since pressed down upon our borders.

"Look over there. The ink clouds are condensing but not dispersing, and the thunder is still brewing within. It actually looks more like..."

As he pondered, a knowledgeable white-bearded elder nearby suddenly gasped in shock and blurted out, "This... could this be the legendary phenonon of a demonic beast transcending its tribulation?"

"Transcending its tribulation?" Everyone froze upon hearing this.

The old man pointed into the distance, his words tumbling out rapidly. "When a demonic beast cultivates to the peak of the third tier and wishes to break through to the next major stage, it must undergo the tempering of heavenly thunder to purify its soul and bloodline.

"When a demonic beast steps into the fourth tier, it enters the Shapeshifting stage.

"Rumor has it that late-stage Shapeshifting demonic beasts can take on a complete human form, making it impossible to spot any flaws.

"Looking at this weather—the spontaneous gathering of thunderclouds and the demonic aura piercing the sky without scattering—these are the exact signs of a tribulation cloud forming!"

"A peak Tier 3 demonic beast?!"

An uproar instantly swept through the crowd, looks of pure horror surfacing on many faces.

That was an existence on par with a human Golden Core perfection cultivator, capable of shattering mountains and severing rivers with a casual gesture.

"Why would such a great demon choose to undergo its tribulation a re thirty miles from our Cloudstream City?"

A mid-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivator frowned deeply, his face filled with bewildernt. "The tribulation lightning is incredibly dangerous and covers a vast area. Is it not afraid of being disrupted during the tribulation, or of soone coveting its remains during its period of weakness afterward?"

Soone ventured a guess, "Perhaps it's a water-elent demonic beast. Cloud Lake encompasses a massive body of water rich in water spiritual qi, which might aid in transcending the tribulation."

"I've never heard of anything like this," another elder said, shaking his head. "A demonic beast transcending a tribulation is exceptionally rare. It's even harder to witness than a Nascent Soul formation."

"If the various factions of the Heavenly Azure Prefecture catch wind of this, a massive number of Golden Core cultivators will likely swarm here for it!"

"Not necessarily," replied a middle-aged Foundation Establishnt cultivator. "Daoist friend, are you unaware that a Connate Secret Realm has appeared over at Grand Harmony Lake? Nearly ninety percent of the Golden Core cultivators in the Heavenly Azure Prefecture have rushed over there.

"They're all trying to seize a great fortune.

"Compared to that, hunting a peak Tier 3 demonic beast is nothing at all."

"Such a thing actually happened?" The other man was utterly dumbfounded by the news. He quickly explained, "I've been in secluded cultivation all this ti and haven't stepped out of my door."

"Ah, so that's how it is. That explains it."