The moment the soul drifted out of the bottle, it sent out a pleading sound that could only be perceived by Divine Sense.
"Martial Uncle Fang, I have no grievances with you, I beg you to spare this junior..."
The soul was very blurry, looking as if it was about to dissipate at any moment. However, through Divine Sense, its basic appearance could still be discerned.
"Tang Tian!" the two Feng ancestors cried out almost in unison.
The nearly transparent soul, while constantly pleading, was also looking around in a panic. When he saw the two people standing before him, he couldn't help but be stunned, and his pleas came to an abrupt halt.
"Feng... Feng... Feng... Senior? It's Senior Feng! Senior, save me! Senior, save me!"
After a moment of shock, Tang Tian immediately flew towards the Feng ancestor without a second thought. But the next moment, he was repelled by the enveloping Spirit Power shield. He let out a miserable cry, and his soul body became even more transparent.
The two Feng ancestors hadn't had time to react to Tang Tian's appearance. Seeing this, they couldn't help but be startled. After a Qi Condensation cultivator dies, although their soul still possesses a strong power of possession, it is very weak against a Spirit Power shield set up by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. With one misstep, Tang Tian's soul would have been reduced to ashes.
The third ancestor quickly waved his hand, swiftly dispelling the Spirit Power shield. At the same time, he flicked the Soul-Containing Bottle with his other hand, and a faint stream of soul power immediately gushed out from it. The moment the soul power appeared, it enveloped the screaming Tang Tian's soul, and his cries soon turned into moans.
Although the Soul-Containing Bottle was only the lowest grade of soul-type magical artifact, as an artifact capable of nurturing souls, its value was comparable to, or even more expensive than, a low-grade attack-type magical treasure. The Soul-Containing Bottle not only had the function of collecting and containing souls, but also had a certain effect of nourishing them. It was just that its own grade was low, so its effect was limited. But even so, under the care of that wisp of soul power, Tang Tian's soul slowly stopped moaning.
As soon as he recovered a little, he first looked around with terror in his eyes. When he saw that it was only the two Feng ancestors, he forced himself to struggle and speak.
"Sen... Senior, Fang... Fang Guangjun is a spy who has... has infiltrated the 'Falling Star Valley'! He... he killed sev... several Feng... Feng family disciples, and my... my physical body was also destroyed by him... please be careful, Senior..."
He said all this in one breath, and his aura became extremely weak.
"He's a spy? Did you see him kill my Feng family disciples with your own eyes?" The Feng ancestor had already suspected as much, but hearing Tang Tian say it himself, he was overjoyed. He deliberately pressed for more.
"Yes... that's right! And my... my Senior... Sister and... and two Junior Brothers have probably all been killed by him!" Tang Tian said with difficulty. In his heart, Zhang Ming was definitely dead too.
"Fang Guangjun is indeed not a good person. If he is a spy sent by an enemy to the Falling Star Valley, then it all makes sense. You don't have to worry. You'll know when you look at the ground!"
The Feng ancestor was now completely at ease. He stepped aside and pointed to the ground behind him.
Tang Tian had not yet recovered from his extreme fear. Upon seeing the two Feng ancestors, his desperate desire to live had overcome everything else, and he hadn't had a chance to see his surroundings clearly. Now, after hearing the Feng ancestor's words, he remembered that he had been captured by Fang Guangjun, and why the two Feng ancestors were here.
Still, he instinctively looked at the ground as he was told. The moment he saw the corpse lying there, Tang Tian's entire soul seemed to be struck by lightning. He began to tremble like a sieve, not out of fear, but out of a great sorrow born from extreme joy.
"He... he's dead? Is he really dead?" Tang Tian tried hard to suppress the joyful surprise in his heart. As he spoke, his entire soul couldn't help but shrink back. The psychological trauma Fang Guangjun had inflicted on him this time was too great. The feeling of instantly going from the underworld to the world of the living made him think he was hallucinating.
"Little Friend Tang, your current condition is very poor. It's best you return to the Soul-Containing Bottle to recuperate for a while first. Although this bottle doesn't have a very strong enhancing effect on souls, your soul is not very powerful either, so it will be of some help in nurturing it. Hmm, how about we talk in detail in an hour? I still have many questions that are not very clear, and I imagine you will have many questions you want to ask as well. Little Friend Tang, what do you think?"
Seeing Tang Tian's soul, which had become even more illusory due to his excitement, the Feng ancestor was afraid that in his great joy and sorrow, he would dissipate into thin air in the next moment. For the Feng family, that would truly be a case of joy turning to sorrow.
"Good, good...! Th-thank... thank you, Sen... Senior! I implore Senior to... to quickly notify the 'Falling Star Valley'..."
Tang Tian did indeed feel very cold. It was mainly because he had lost control and crashed into the Spirit Power cage set up by the Feng ancestor just now. His soul had been shaken by the Spirit Power and was very unstable.
"I will naturally notify the sect as soon as possible. Little Friend Tang need not worry about this. You will be taken back soon," the Feng ancestor nodded slightly.
The next moment, Tang Tian's soul had flown into the Soul-Containing Bottle on its own. Although he really didn't want to enter this bottle that he both feared and dreaded again, he did need to calm his emotions and stabilize the turmoil in his soul.
In fact, he was extremely wary of the two Feng ancestors in his heart right now. This was not just due to the difference in cultivation. If he were facing these two in a physical body, even if they were Foundation Establishment cultivators, Tang Tian would still have the sense of superiority of an upper sect cultivator in his heart. But now, he was like someone who had been stripped naked, appearing bare in another's Divine Sense. Tang Tian had lost a protective barrier in his heart. However, he could only choose to believe them. Right now, they could make him disappear completely from this world with a single breath.
After re-capping the bottle, a hopeful light shone in the eyes of the two Feng ancestors simultaneously, and they fixed their gaze on the other Soul-Containing Bottle.
"Big Brother, it's possible that Zaihua's soul is inside. That Fang Guangjun should have only wanted to keep the souls with higher cultivation for his own use," the third ancestor said hurriedly. After seeing Tang Tian's soul, he had already been thinking about why the other party hadn't killed him completely. After much thought, the most prominent feature of Tang Tian among the deceased disciples was his high cultivation level, being at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation.
"It's possible!" This time, it was the Feng ancestor himself who acted. As he spoke, he had already reached out and drawn the other Soul-Containing Bottle into his palm. He also agreed with his third brother's words. Feng Zaihua's cultivation was second only to Tang Tian's.
This time, he didn't use Spirit Power to form an isolating shield. Instead, with a gentle release and retraction of Spirit Power, he had already opened the bottle. After a gentle ripple of soul power, another wisp of a soul drifted out. The Divine Senses of both the Feng ancestor and his brother were firmly locked on the mouth of the bottle.
But the next moment, the slender and graceful soul that appeared left them greatly disappointed. The drifting soul revealed a panicked yet beautiful face. It was Wu Yizhen...
An hour and a half later, after putting the souls of Tang Tian and Wu Yizhen back into the Soul-Containing Bottles, the Feng ancestor held the two bottles in his hand, his brows knitted together. The third ancestor beside him had the same expression.
They had just learned the general process of Fang Guangjun's sneak attack from Tang Tian and Wu Yizhen, and they agreed with their judgment. Fang Guangjun was a spy sent by the enemies of the Falling Star Valley. After infiltrating the sect, he had killed them and the Feng family cultivators to complete some kind of mission. As for secretly hiding some of the corpses and souls, that was just proof after the mission was completed.
As for why only the souls of these two were left, there was no need to guess now. The other party only had two Soul-Containing Bottles, and both Tang Tian and Wu Yizhen were direct disciples of the Falling Star Valley. Their status was not something these Feng family cultivators could compare to; they were certainly much more valuable.
After all this was slowly sorted out, Fang Guangjun's final action became even more incomprehensible. Why did he go to kill a Foundation Establishment ghostly creature alone? No matter how they racked their brains, they couldn't figure it out. If they were in his shoes, with the cover of the Corpse Bees, all of this could have been used to conceal the fact that they had killed people. Why did he take this extra step, which ended up getting him killed? What was his purpose?
"There must be something special about that Foundation Establishment ghostly creature. We just haven't discovered it yet," the Feng ancestor murmured. "Third Brother, I need to find some time to go to that Foundation Establishment creature's lair and take a look. At that time, you will have to stay behind and guard the family."
"Big Brother, we must go and see that place. Otherwise, we'll never be able to figure out what this Fang Guangjun discovered. But this time, I will accompany you, in case that ghostly creature calls for other reinforcements..."
Before he could finish, the Feng ancestor waved his hand. "No need. I'm just going to sneak over for a look, I don't want a big fight. It's better for you to stay and guard the family. I have a feeling that these are eventful times, and it's not very peaceful outside. Just like we guessed before, why did the ghostly creatures here erupt in an attack at the same time the Falling Star Valley ran into trouble? It's better to be more careful about everything."
"Big Brother..." The third ancestor, still worried, wanted to persuade him further, but the Feng ancestor interrupted him again.
"Alright, we'll discuss this in a few days. Right now, we need to notify the Falling Star Valley of the situation here as soon as possible. Now that we have the souls of these two, it's best to hand them over quickly. Hmph, this time, not only are we fine, but we can also take the opportunity to demand some benefits from the Falling Star Valley. After all, the person they sent to help us had problems and nearly destroyed the Feng family. We helped them eliminate an internal spy after losing many elite clansmen. No matter how you look at it, the upper sect must compensate and reward us."
The third ancestor nodded in agreement. "Then after Big Brother contacts the Falling Star Valley, the disciple named Zhang Ming who is staying here also needs Zaiyu to go and briefly explain the situation."
A total of six people had come from the Falling Star Valley this time. Now, only Feng Tao and Zhang Ming were left. Needless to say about Feng Tao, but Zhang Ming hadn't seen Fang Guangjun for a long time. They couldn't let anything happen.
Tang Tian and Wu Yizhen had also spoken of Zhang Ming's origin. This Zhang Ming had been invited by Feng Tao on her own initiative and was not with Fang Guangjun's group. It was just that this kid's luck was extremely good. He had chosen another forked path at the last minute, which could be considered as having escaped a calamity. His fate and fortune were truly great.
"Before the people from the Falling Star Valley arrive, have Zaiyu keep a close eye on Zhang Ming as well!" the Feng ancestor said decisively. He still could not easily trust Zhang Ming's identity.
Li Yan was meditating in a quiet room in the Feng family's estate when he suddenly opened his eyes, a slight smile touching the corners of his lips. A dozen breaths later, Feng Zaiyu's voice sounded from outside the door.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, Feng Zaiyu has come to visit. There are a few matters I need to trouble you with. I ask that Fellow Daoist Zhang grant me a meeting!"
Feng Zaiyu only stayed in Zhang Ming's room for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before leaving with a smile. Zhang Ming, on the other hand, saw Feng Zaiyu off with a slightly surprised and questioning look, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
All of this was seen by Feng Zaiyu. Zhang Ming's performance was all within his expectations. For the other party to have survived by a stroke of luck, he must be extremely frightened.