The Zhou Family Ancestors Mobilize in Full Force, Determined to Kill Chen Du
Chen Du finished his inner sect assessment process smoothly, and then went alone to the inner sect deacon's hall to hand over a neatly written leave request.
He planned to temporarily leave the Ancient Path Holy Land and return to the former territory of the Zhang Family the Heavenly Gift Dynasty to handle the remaining family affairs in the secular world.
The elders of the Deacon Hall reviewed the leave request and, seeing that it only involved handling mundane clan matters, did not question it further.
In accordance with the sect's rules, his leave was approved without hesitation.
The recent disappearance of Deacon Wu, which has caused a sensation throughout the inner and outer sects, has been widely circulated within the Holy Land, but no clue has been found. Several investigations have been launched, but all have come to nothing.
The Hall of Deacons sent people to investigate the cliffside mountain path where Deacon Wu last appeared, and used several layers of sect formations to deduce his trajectory, but still could not find any trace of fighting or human life.
In the end, the higher-ups of the Holy Land could only hastily classify the matter as a cultivator going out for training and losing contact, and casually put it aside. No one was willing to spend any more effort to continue the investigation.
Within the vast Ancient Path Holy Land, no one would connect the bizarre demise of a Tenth Tier inner sect steward with Zhang Shun, a newly promoted disciple who had just entered the inner sect and whose cultivation was only at the Eighth Stage.
In everyone's understanding, there is an insurmountable gap between the Eighth Stage and Tenth Tier, and new disciples who have just entered the inner sect have absolutely no chance of killing high-ranking deacons.
This deadly assassination, shrouded in secrecy, was buried silently by time, becoming an unsolved mystery in the sacred land.
Having completed all the formalities, Chen Du did not linger in the sacred site for even a moment. Alone, he packed his bags and slowly walked out of the majestic and solemn mountain gate of the Ancient Path Holy Land.
He walked with a relaxed gait along the wide official road leading to the Heavenly Gift Dynasty.
He seemed to be traveling casually, but he already knew in his heart that the Zhou Family's long- Lie Dormant murderous intent would inevitably erupt today.
Within the sacred ground, strict rules prevail and powerful figures gather, so the Zhou Family dares not act recklessly. However, the mortal world offers no protection, making this the last chance for this group to gamble everything and fight to the death.
The moment Chen Du stepped out of the sacred mountain gate, the Zhou Family spies lurking outside the gate immediately picked up the information and quickly relayed it back to the Zhou Family mansion in the Heavenly Gift Dynasty.
The Zhou Family mansion, which had been suppressed with resentment and anger for days, was completely swept away by the news the moment it received it. The ecstatic joy that had been suppressed for many days instantly swept over the head of the family.
The Zhou Family patriarch suddenly stood up from his chair, his eyes filled with extreme excitement, and the pent-up frustration he had been suppressing for months completely dissipated at that moment.
"He left the Holy Land?"
"Was he traveling alone, without fellow disciples or sect guards?"
The scout bowed his head and replied in a deep voice, each word clear and firm, confirming that Chen Du had left the mountain alone, without any support or assistance throughout the journey.
The Zhou Family patriarch exclaimed "Great!" three times in succession, his killing intent surging within him. His long-suppressed desire for revenge had finally found the perfect opportunity he had been dreaming of.
"Heaven has eyes! This brat is arrogant and conceited; how dare he leave the sacred land alone?"
"Today is his death day! All the humiliations suffered by the Zhou Family will be washed away today!"
Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he turned and rushed to the deepest part of the mansion, the backyard, where a secluded stone chamber, sealed for over a decade, held the last of the Zhou Family's supreme secrets.
This stone chamber and its stone door are always tightly closed and never opened, isolating it from all outside influences. The Zhou Family patriarch has been in seclusion for more than ten years, detached from worldly disputes and clan affairs.
The Zhou Family patriarch knelt heavily before the cold stone door, his posture extremely respectful, his voice trembling with barely concealed emotion, as he reported everything that had happened over the past few months.
"Ancestor, your disciple has an urgent matter to report."
"Zhang Shun, a remnant of the Zhang Family, rose to prominence at an astonishing speed. In just one year, he went from a menial servant to the top of the inner sect. His talent is terrifying and rarely seen throughout history."
"This boy previously crippled Zhou Jingxuan, a genius of my Zhou Family, in the outer sect martial arts arena, and secretly killed the Tenth Tier inner sect steward whom my Zhou Family had entrusted with a great deal of money. He has repeatedly outmaneuvered my Zhou Family's entire scheme."
"If this child is not eliminated, he will surely crush my Zhou Family in the future, destroy our thousand-year- Zhou Family foundation, and sever all of our Zhou Family's plans in the Ancient Path Holy Land."
"Now that this young man has left the sacred land alone, without any protection, this is the only chance for my Zhou Family to eliminate him completely and prevent future troubles. Please, Ancestor, come out of seclusion and oversee the situation!"
The stone chamber remained silent for a very long time, and the entire backyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. An oppressive, ancient pressure slowly seeped out from the cracks in the stone door.
A moment later, the heavy, ancient stone door slowly slid open, and a dull creak echoed through the courtyard. The secluded place, sealed off for more than ten years, was finally reopened.
An elderly man with white hair and beard and a thin build slowly stepped out of the stone chamber. He looked plain and ordinary, like an average old man from the countryside. But the moment he appeared, the wind and clouds in the world seemed to stand still.
The spiritual energy flowing around the courtyard instantly froze, and the airflow throughout the entire Zhou Family territory became deathly still. A terrifying pressure of power, far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators, slowly spread out.
The Twelfth Tier, the Zhou Family patriarch Lie Dormant for more than ten years, has finally broken through his seclusion today.
The Zhou Family patriarch lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head. His muscles were tense and his mind trembled. He dared not look directly at the supreme majesty of his ancestor.
The Zhou Family patriarch lowered his eyes and looked down at the kneeling clansmen. His old, hoarse voice slowly rang out, full of indifference and disdain.
"Just a mere Eighth Stage junior."
"You dare disturb my seclusion? You dare make my Zhou Family mobilize such a large force?"
The Zhou Family patriarch hurriedly looked up and earnestly explained, his words filled with fear and apprehension.
"Ancestor, you must not underestimate this child; he is no ordinary genius."
"He leaped Third Tier in three months, and within a year, he went from the outer sect of menial tasks to the inner sect. His cultivation speed broke the ancient record of the Holy Land, and his trump cards and opportunities were unpredictable."
"If we allow him to continue growing, within a few years, he will easily crush all the foundations of my Zhou Family in the Heavenly Gift Dynasty and the Ancient Path Holy Land."
The Zhou Family patriarch gave a slight snort, his eyes still filled with condescending disdain, but he finally nodded in agreement to the ambush mission.
In his eyes, eliminating a junior ant was just a simple matter; it was also a way to eliminate a potential future threat, making the trip worthwhile.
With the patriarch's order, the entire Zhou Family began to rapidly assemble all its high-end combat forces. All the clan's strongest members were urgently summoned, and no one dared to be absent or negligent.
The Twelfth Tier patriarch sat in the middle, with Tenth Tier elders on both sides, followed closely by Ninth Tier and Eighth Stage clan elites, forming an army of dozens of the Zhou Family's top experts.
This team encompassed all the core resources accumulated by the Zhou Family over thousands of years. Their imposing aura filled the sky, and everyone was filled with killing intent. They sped towards the official road that Chen Du had to take.
As Chen Du walked along the long official road, he had already used his innate talent in his sea of consciousness to detect the layers upon layers of powerful killing intent in the distance, and system notifications kept popping up.
[Deliberate Revenge triggered; the opponent's arrogance is extremely high; everyone prepares a deadly attack; Hatred Qi Value increases by 80,000 years.]
[Super Upgrade triggered, tenfold sublimation activated, gaining 800,000 years of sublimated Enmity Qi.]
Chen Du remained expressionless and continued walking slowly in the middle of the official road, quietly waiting for his enemies, who felt they had victory in their grasp, to meet their doom.