Gravely Wounded and Unconscious! Evil Cultivators Blood Sacrifice Red Jade Island!

"Insolence!"

Withered Wood True Person's eyes turned cold.

With a frosty shout!

The pressure of the Golden Core stage crashed down upon everyone like a tidal wave.

Bang! Bang!

The cultivators who had been floating in the air fell to the ground one after another.

Withered Wood True Person reached out and clenched his hand in empty space.

As if seized by the throat, Zhao Tianhai was dragged directly before Withered Wood True Person.

He used every ounce of strength he possessed, trying to break free of the spiritual energy restraints.

But it was all in vain.

Looking at Withered Wood True Person's wrinkled face, Zhao Tianhai showed not the slightest fear in his eyes.

He was the direct grandson of the Purple Cloud Sect's Golden Core Ancestor.

The other party could not—and would not dare—kill him.

The facts proved that he was right.

Withered Wood True Person's face was livid, but no killing intent showed from him.

His aged voice rang out again. "This Seat will say it one more time! That brat used a Teleportation Talisman to escape! The Earth Core Fire Crystal is not in This Seat's possession!"

With that, he viciously flung Zhao Tianhai to the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Zhao Tianhai had been clothed in fine silks and fed exquisite delicacies since childhood, fawned over by all. Having suffered such humiliation now, how could he possibly let it go?

A venomous light flashed through his eyes as he spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. He said coldly, "Who would believe that? You were the last person to see that brat.

With your strength, you could destroy the corpse and erase all traces in less than a second.

Who would believe you when you say the Earth Core Fire Crystal isn't in your hands?

Unless you open your Storage Ring and let us take a look!"

Hiss!

Hiss!

A wave of shocked murmurs arose.

The way everyone looked at Zhao Tianhai changed completely.

No one had expected him to be so bold!

No matter what, Withered Wood True Person was still a Golden Core True Person. Golden Core cultivators could not be insulted!

Lei Kuang sighed inwardly. He had not expected there to truly be people in this world who feared death so little.

The next moment, he watched the scene before him with great interest.

He also wanted to know whether that brat had truly escaped, and whether the Earth Core Fire Crystal was really in Withered Wood True Person's hands!

Squelch!

A stalk of Green Bamboo instantly sprouted beneath Zhao Tianhai's feet.

Like a sharp sword, the Green Bamboo pierced straight through his right chest and carried him twenty meters into the air.

The next moment, a heart-rending howl erupted.

Blood streamed down the Green Bamboo, staining the ground crimson!

Withered Wood True Person's expression did not change in the slightest. He glanced at his empty arm and ignored Zhao Tianhai's screams as he sighed.

"I truly cannot refuse to admit my age. If this had been in the past... ah, forget it. A hero does not boast of former glory.

Junior! This Seat will say it once more: the Earth Core Fire Crystal is not with this Old Man.

That brat's status is far from low. He has a Third Stage Teleportation Talisman, a Concealing Breath Art, and a Disguise Artifact. Trying to find him would be like fishing a needle from the sea.

Old Man withdraws from the contest for the Earth Core Fire Crystal. Of course, if you want revenge, you may have Purple Cloud True Person come to the Divine Wood Sect!"

After saying that, his figure vanished from before everyone's eyes, and the terrifying pressure receded with it.

The Purple Cloud Sect disciples hurriedly pulled Zhao Tianhai off the Green Bamboo.

Seeing Zhao Tianhai, who had only one breath left, the few of them looked at one another in dismay.

No matter what, he was a Golden Core Ancestor.

Why did you have to provoke him?

Could a tiger that had fallen onto the plains still be bullied by dogs?

Seeing Withered Wood True Person leave, Lei Kuang, Xiao Changsheng, and the others did not linger. They needed to hurry back to their sects and report what had happened.

Elsewhere, outside a fishing village on some unknown small island.

A six- or seven-year-old little brat shouted toward a Maiden washing clothes not far away.

"Big Sis! Come quickly! There's a bloody person here!"

Hearing the little boy's shout, the Maiden immediately set down the wooden basin in her hands and hurried to his side.

She smacked his backside twice.

"Who told you to come to the shore? How many times have I told you? Don't come to the shore alone, don't come to the shore alone! You just never listen!

If the waves swept you away, how would Mother and I go on living?"

The Maiden wore a plain white dress that had been washed so many times it was impossible to count. Her voice was sweet and pleasant, and she looked to be around thirteen or fourteen.

Her palm kept falling on the little boy's buttocks.

The pain made him bare his teeth and grimace.

"Big Sis, stop hitting me! Check whether this person is dead first."

Only then did the Maiden stop. She looked at the young man lying facedown on the ground, covered in blood from head to toe, and placed her rough little hand beneath Zhang Xuanchen's nose.

At this moment, Zhang Xuanchen had fallen unconscious and knew nothing of what was happening outside.

Without spiritual energy to sustain it, the Bone-Changing Disguise Armor that had originally covered his face had fallen to one side, and his appearance had returned to its original form.

The Maiden drew back her hand, a trace of shock flashing across her face.

"He's still alive after suffering such serious injuries! That's truly unbelievable!"

The little boy beside her pursed his lips. He had not expected this person to still be alive either. He had wanted to take the little pouch at the man's waist.

He whispered, "Then should we save him? What if he's carrying some plague? And if we save him, it'll definitely cost a lot of money.

How about we leave him here? There's no one around anyway... Ow!"

Before the boy could finish, the Maiden rapped him on the head.

A flicker of anger surfaced on her sallow face as she scolded him.

"Iron Egg! What does Mother usually teach you!

Back when Mother sprained her ankle in the mountains, it was an itinerant peddler she had never met who carried her back.

How can people only see the fear before their eyes and forget the warmth in their hearts?"

As she spoke, the girl helped Zhang Xuanchen up and leaned him against her shoulder. Blood covered her body, but she did not care in the slightest.

She glanced at the little boy standing where he was and added, "Bad people don't have words written on their faces, but saving lives depends on one's conscience.

As long as someone is alive, you cannot stand by and watch them die. Heaven cherishes life, and even the earth knows to nourish all things.

You must never think like that again. Do you understand?"

Listening to his sister, the little boy's eyes reddened. He knew that he had been wrong, and he nodded as he lowered his head.

"I... I understand."

Seeing that her younger brother recognized his mistake, the Maiden nodded in satisfaction.

"Go, carry the wooden basin. We're going home.

In the future, I'll definitely teach you every bit of the knowledge and principles Father taught me while he was alive, so you won't act foolishly when you grow up."

With that, she dragged Zhang Xuanchen toward home.

Iron Egg wiped his snot, picked up the mask on the ground and the wooden basin nearby, then followed close behind.

Xuanxiao Mountain.

A pale-faced middle-aged man hurried into the family's Main Hall.

The moment he entered the Main Hall, he swiftly reported the news he had received. "Clan Leader! This is bad! Eight Evil Cultivators have breached Red Jade Island!

Cousin Hong Xu has been killed, and all eight thousand mortals on the island have been blood sacrificed!"

Red Jade Island was where the family's First-grade Top-tier Spirit Vein lay.

There was a small First-grade Mid-tier Red Jade mine on the island, hence its name.

A Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivator had been stationed there, along with more than eight thousand mortals.

How could anyone not be enraged now that it had been drenched in blood?

"What!"

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Hongzhan slammed his palm onto the table.

The table, forged from top-tier Spirit Jade, instantly shattered into fragments!

The other elders were all furious beyond measure.

Zhang Guangli rose directly to his feet and roared, "Outrageous!

Those Evil Cultivators are truly audacious! They actually dared lay hands on members of my Zhang Family!

Clan Leader! Please allow me to act! I will surely slaughter every one of those Evil Cultivators and avenge our dead clansmen!"