After leaving the Chen family estate, Zhou Huai’an did not flee any further. Instead, he stopped at the top of a large tree outside the estate and slowly sat down.
His gaze stretched into the distance and his expression remained calm as though he were waiting for sothing.
The breeze stirred gently, the branches swaying. His bloodstained sleeves fluttered in the wind, bringing a chill to the night sky. Yet Zhou Huai’an remained motionless, like a statue carved from stone.
Shortly after he sat down, three or four light points appeared in the pitch-black night, glimring like stars.
These lights moved with astonishing speed, swiftly rushing toward Zhou Huai’an.
As they closed the distance, the figures within the lights revealed themselves.
“Zhou Huai’an, your clan has been annihilated. Surrender yourself obediently.”
"Zhou Huai’an, we told you long ago you cannot escape!"
The mont they arrived, the group quickly encircled Zhou Huai’an. Their gazes were cold and their voices were sharp with rebuke.
From the way they walked, as though on solid ground, it was clear that these four were martial artists of the Qi Manipulation Realm. One stood out among them: an elder with graying hair dressed in plain robes. He did not advance but kept his hands clasped behind his back as he watched Zhou Huai’an quietly. His voice was calm yet carried undeniable authority.
“Clan Leader Zhou, hand over the item. It is not sothing you can possess. Surrender it, and perhaps your Zhou family bloodline may endure.”
Zhou Huai’an let out a cold laugh.
"If you want it, then take it. Why waste so many words?”
He drew sothing from his robes a dull, grayish-yellow sphere whose surface resembled packed earth. It looked utterly ordinary at first glance.
As soon as the white-haired elder saw the object, his eyes lit up.
"Spiritual Essence of Heaven and Earth!"
However, after hearing Zhou Huai’an’s mocking words, the elder’s deanor shifted, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"You refuse the wine of courtesy, so you'll drink the wine of punishnt. Attack!”
At his command, the three companions lunged forward without hesitation, striking fiercely.
Under the night sky, multicolored Gang Qi surged and spread. The forest’s creatures scattered in panic, and the cries of startled nightingales echoed through the darkness.
In just a few exchanges, the towering trees around them were reduced to emptiness.
"Hmph, let
handle this!"
Seeing that the three had failed to subdue Zhou Huai’an, the elder’s face twisted with dissatisfaction.
He stepped forward, his palm closing in a subtle grip. In that instant, a razor-sharp sword aura burst forth, unmatched in its ferocity.
Seeing the elder take action himself, Zhou Huai’an, who had just been holding his own against three opponents in the Qi Manipulation Realm, now wore a look of solemn gravity.
As the sword aura closed in, Zhou Huai’an smiled. He made no attempt to evade it. Instead, he raised the dull, gray-yellow sphere in his hand and held it directly in front of him.
The white-haired elder froze for a mont at the sight, then his face twisted in fury.
“Zhou Huai’an, you deserve death!”
With a phantom-like stride, the elder blurred forward. In just a few steps, he appeared before Zhou Huai’an and seized the sphere, his speed surpassing the sword aura he had unleashed.
Yet, even though the object was no longer in his possession, Zhou Huai’an remained utterly composed. He clamped his other hand tightly onto the elder’s arm and grinned defiantly.
The elder, clutching the sphere, prepared to strike again and finish Zhou Huai’an off. But when his gaze fell upon Zhou Huai’an’s smiling face, a flicker of unease stirred within him. Sothing was wrong.
But then the elder seed to sense sothing. His face changed drastically as he snarled, "Damn it, Zhou Huai’an! You actually…"
Before he could finish, Zhou Huai’an’s body swelled and a colossal force erupted from within him.
Boom!
The explosive radiance tore through the boundless night like the dawn breaking. The trendous power swallowed the people present, and its aftershocks rippled outward. For a mont, the entire world seed to fall silent.
In the distance, Chen Xingzhen and the others watched the dazzling burst in the darkness and sighed.
Above the clan, Chen Changming and the soul forms wore grave expressions. Such power was beyond their reach.
Cough, cough, cough!
Once the aftershocks of the explosion had subsided, the figures who had vanished reappeared quickly, each bearing various wounds. Ignoring their injuries, they called anxiously toward the center of the blast, "Uncle, are you all right?"
They rose into the air, searching for the silhouette of the white-haired elder.
As the scattered debris cleared, the elder soon appeared before the three of them. Upon closer inspection, despite having stood at the very center of the blast, not a hair on his body was out of place, and even the hem of his robe remained intact.
Above his head, three differently colored radiances hung down like banners, firmly shielding his form. This was why he had erged unscathed.
Seeing the elder completely unhard, the three maintained composed expressions, though a hint of envy flickered in their eyes.
This was the Three Flowers Converge at the Crown Realm, in which defense is perfected to the extre.
The white-haired elder hastily placed the gray-yellow sphere in his palm and examined it closely.
When he noticed several fine cracks on its surface, he snorted, "This man is damned!"
"Uncle, can this thing still be used?" one of the clan mbers asked.
The elder suppressed his anger and nodded slightly. "Only minor damage. Nothing irreparable. Once we return to the clan, have the family totem repair it over the course of several years.”
Hearing this, the three wounded n all smiled faintly, and the elder's mood lightened considerably.
"Uncle, there seem to be quite a few savages nearby. Shall we deal with them while we're at it?"
"Savages" was the most fitting na for people from such a remote place.
The white-haired elder waved his hand slightly.
"No need. We've already taken the item. There's no need to cause extra trouble. Just wipe out the remaining Zhou Clan mbers.”
"Understood, Uncle."
"All right, let's return quickly. If we delay too long, the effect of this thing may weaken.”
Hearing this, the others fell silent. They condensed into streaks of light and flew off into the distance.
"Clan Leader, it seems they've left!"
Upon hearing Chen Qingyu's report, Chen Xingzhen breathed a sigh of relief—apparently, the clan had suffered no further harm.
Then, he turned to Chen Tianjing and Chen Tianyu and said, "Summon every Blood Coagulation Realm martial artist in the clan to the ancestral hall. Convene a clan assembly imdiately.”
"Yes, Clan Leader!"
After the two hurried away, Chen Xingzhen’s brow tightened, and lines of worry appeared on his face.
The destruction of the Zhou family dealt a devastating blow to the clan.
Although the clan was provided with additional resources by not having to surrender the Blood Rice, without the Zhou family’s reputation and protection, its situation had beco precarious. According to Chen Xingzhen’s original plan, even if the Shi family wanted to act, it would likely take them several months to find a way. Still, that was far better than the current state of affairs.
Such a major incident could not be kept secret for long. It would probably reach the Shi family within two days.
Fortunately, the clan would likely learn of it first, allowing them to deploy defenses and prepare in advance.
If the Shi family moved first while the clan remained unaware, it would undoubtedly be far worse.
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