"You—"
Lin Mocheng was so furious that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. If the fight had continued, he estimated it would have taken just another quarter of an hour to subdue Chen Changxuan.
But Lin Moxin's retreat at such a critical moment caused the situation to spiral completely out of control. Elian, wielding the Purple Radiance Mirror, a tier-two upper-grade artifact specifically designed to suppress other artifacts, possessed strength almost equivalent to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If Elian and Chen Changxuan joined forces, the one who would likely fall here would be Lin Mocheng. Left with no choice, Lin Mocheng forced Chen Changxuan back and fled into the distance.
Before leaving, he made an attempt to rescue the injured middle-aged woman, but Elian countered by casting his Heavenly Flame Sword Art, blocking Lin Mocheng's advance. Then, with a sweep of the Fiery Void Sword, the azure blade sliced through the air, killing the purple-clad woman mid-flight.
"Ah—"
Lin Mocheng's face was filled with anguish, his eyes brimming with tears. Suppressed fury surged to his throat, his gaze oozing with murderous intent.
"Elian, you damned harbinger of death!"
"This enmity will never be forgotten as long as I live!"
Elian and the elder patriarch refrained from pursuing him. When a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator is determined to flee, it is nearly impossible to stop them.
Furthermore, both had expended significant amounts of spiritual energy, with the elder patriarch still nursing internal injuries from the backlash.
The two quickly cleaned up the battlefield and descended upon Spirit Apricot Mountain. Glancing at Elian, the elder patriarch let out a slight chuckle.
"That old fox is truly desperate now."
"Be cautious of him in the future."
Elian's eyes glinted faintly. Of the seven Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Lin family, four had now died by his hands—earning him the moniker "harbinger of death."
The two Lin cultivators in the early Foundation Establishment stage didn't have many treasures. Their belongings included only five or six tier-two lower-grade artifacts, which held little value for Elian and the elder patriarch. Chen Changxuan stored these items in a pouch, intending to later contribute them to the family treasury. However, there were also over two thousand spirit stones, which the two decided to split equally.
After dividing the spoils, they climbed to the spiritual spring atop Spirit Apricot Mountain. The elder patriarch gazed at the spring, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"What a pity."
The spiritual vein of Spirit Apricot Mountain was only of tier-two lower-grade, meaning it couldn't fully unleash the power of the Blazing Fire Divine Array. During the recent battle, the spiritual spring had suffered backlash from the Wind Severing Soul Sword Talisman, collapsing entirely.
Without the spiritual spring, the spiritual energy of Spirit Apricot Mountain would gradually degrade to tier-one upper-grade. Restoring it to tier-two lower-grade would require an investment of over ten thousand spirit stones—a sum the Chen family could not afford under current circumstances.
Even if they had such resources, it would be more worthwhile to upgrade the spiritual vein of Pingyang City to tier-two mid-grade.
Shaking his head, Elian remarked, "Let's restore our spiritual energy before the remaining aura dissipates."
The two spent a day recuperating atop the mountain. Once their energy was replenished, Chen Qinghao finally arrived, albeit late.
Upon seeing him, the elder patriarch immediately asked, "What's the situation?"
"I've used the subordinate communication talisman at Yuanyang Market to inform the five families of the situation. As for their responses, I haven't received any yet."
The subordinate communication talisman, a tier-three lower-grade single-use communication talisman, allows messages written on the main talisman to appear on its counterpart. However, it doesn't allow responses in return.
This talisman was typically used for emergency alerts in case Yuanyang Market came under attack, enabling swift calls for reinforcements from allied families.
Given the urgency of the situation, the Chen family's attack on the Lin family could be seen as a sudden strike, conducted without prior consultation with the other families.
While the six major families of Yu County were aligned in their interests, internal conflicts weren't ideal, especially with the impending beast horde. To prevent any overreactions from the other families, Chen Qinghao sent out the message as a way to stabilize the relationships between the cultivator clans.
Hearing this, the elder patriarch nodded.
"With the Lin family in defeat, now is the time to press the advantage."
"We move on to Ink Green Mountain."
The Lin family had risen to prominence only two centuries ago, but their lineage stretched back over five hundred years. Two hundred years ago, they were nothing more than a precarious, Qi Condensation-level minor family.
Fortune struck when a former patriarch broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage and used the family's scant resources to upgrade the mortal city of Lin City to tier-two lower-grade. During the subsequent beast horde, a Foundation Establishment clan was destroyed, leaving Ink Green Mountain unclaimed.
The Lin family patriarch seized the opportunity, claiming the mountain and acquiring a Foundation Establishment Pill, which allowed the cultivation of a second Foundation Establishment cultivator. Thus, the Lin family swiftly rose to recognition as one of the acknowledged Foundation Establishment clans in Yu County.
Ink Green Mountain's spiritual vein was originally tier-two mid-grade. Through over two centuries of cultivation and investment, the Lin family had elevated it to tier-two upper-grade within the last few decades.
"This Ink Green Mountain spiritual vein looks problematic."
Standing at the base of the mountain, the group's faces showed unease.
Chen Qinghao furrowed his brow.
"With a tier-two upper-grade vein and superior defensive formations, Ink Green Mountain is far more fortified than Spirit Apricot Mountain. Add Lin Mocheng's personal oversight, and even a Purple Mansion cultivator would struggle to seize it quickly."
"Then we won't attack it head-on." Chen Changxuan's expression also turned serious.
"We'll camp here and lay siege. Let's see how long they can last without coming out."
Elian shook his head and replied, "They can rely on the spiritual vein for cultivation. But we're out here, where the spiritual energy is thin. Prolonged sieging will only hinder our own progress."
As they spoke, a streak of light appeared in the distant sky.
Elian squinted, recognizing the arrivals as Foundation Establishment cultivators from other major families in Yu County.
Mou Xuanming, Meng Xinghe, and several others arrived in quick succession, landing near the group. Their urgency was evident.
"Patriarch Chen, Daoist Elian, why go to such lengths?" Mou Xuanming said with a pained expression upon approaching.
The elder patriarch frowned, his gaze sharp as he replied, "The Lin family's two Foundation Establishment cultivators conspired to ambush my nephew. Had he not held back hidden means, he would have perished in the wilderness."
"Such a grudge cannot be easily forgiven."
"But…" Mou Xuanming hesitated before continuing, "You are both leaders in Yu County. To engage in such internal conflict now will only bring delight to the beasts and demons. Isn't it better to let me mediate and bring an end to this feud?"
Patriarchs from the Sun and Zhang families also chimed in, urging peace.
"With the beast horde drawing closer, both the Chen and Lin families are pillars of Yu County. There's still time to reconcile."
"It's too late for that." Elian's calm voice cut through the conversation.
"I've already slain four of their Foundation Establishment cultivators. There's no turning back now."
...
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