Questions

Fang Huai repeatedly lunged at Zheng Fengzu with the Yin Underworld Claw, while Liu Xiange cast curses to inflict debilitating effects on him.

Caught between their attacks, Zheng Fengzu was drenched in sweat and frantic with anxiety.

He had already exhausted his spiritual energy using the Skinning Technique. Now he was also distracted by the Little Corpse Meteor Insect thrashing around inside him. He had long since been overwhelmed.

Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through his heart—

The Little Corpse Meteor Insect had broken through his defenses and burrowed inside!

His mind reeled, and an opening appeared. The Yin Underworld Claw pierced through his chest.

Seeing Zheng Fengzu fall, Fang Huai did not let his guard down. He cast the Yin Underworld Claw again, piercing Zheng Fengzu's Qi Sea.

"Patriarch Zheng, being careless with your enemies never ends well." Fang Huai looked at Zheng Fengzu coldly.

With his Qi Sea shattered, spiritual energy was leaking out and his cultivation realm was rapidly collapsing. He no longer posed any threat.

Liu Xiange retrieved the Storage Bag and took out several long ropes. With a flick of her hand, she bound Zheng Fengzu and the remaining members of the Zheng Family.

"This Monster Binding Rope, made for tying up demonic beasts, has finally come in handy."

The two sat cross-legged and circulated their spiritual energy, forcing the Blood Jade Insects out of their bodies.

"Senior Brother Fang, what do we do now?"

Liu Xiange had already examined Lin Qian. He had succumbed to the Blood Jade Insects' gnawing and was dead.

The sect would surely notice the death of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. They might even send someone over at any moment.

Fang Huai leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Liu Xiange frowned, wanting to refuse. But seeing Fang Huai's resolute gaze, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

She walked over to the Zheng Family members, who were being tormented by the curse until they wished they were dead, and waved her hand to withdraw the spiritual energy. They immediately felt much better.

Fang Huai said, "We have no intention of making things difficult for the ordinary members of the Zheng Family. Before the Corpse Sha Sect arrives, seal the formation and leave."

The Zheng Family members were deeply grateful. They were about to help Zheng Fengzu up and leave, but Fang Huai stopped them.

"Zheng Fengzu killed two of my senior brothers. His crimes are too numerous to write down, and there can be no forgiveness.

"If you want to take him with you, then you can all stay here with him."

The Zheng Family members exchanged bewildered looks, then turned toward Zheng Fengzu, their eyes wavering.

Zheng Fengzu let out a quiet sigh and nodded for his family to leave.

Outside the formation, Liu Xiange rode the Corpse Sha Bird and carried the Zheng Family members one by one to the sky-blue pillars.

The Zheng Family members exchanged glances, not daring to delay. They immediately poured their spiritual energy into the pillars.

In an instant, the waters surged violently, turning into rolling waves that once more covered the space below completely.

Just then, the Zheng Family members' faces changed drastically.

The spiritual energy within them scattered, their flesh and blood fell apart, and it was as if thousands upon thousands of insects were devouring them.

In only a few moments, blood flowed from their seven orifices, and their lives were extinguished.

Liu Xiange waved her hand, sending their corpses into the waves to become food for the demonic beasts.

Then she rode the Corpse Sha Bird toward the Zheng Family's residence.

Inside the formation, Fang Huai sat cross-legged and drew Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body.

Zheng Fengzu, meanwhile, was drenched in sweat and questioning everything he knew.

His Qi Sea was only shattered. Why couldn't he even manage Spirit Absorption?

Fang Huai shook his head to himself. What did you think I was keeping you alive for? If I hadn't wanted the Spirit Absorption you had, I would've sent you to your grave long ago.

To stop Zheng Fengzu from losing all hope and killing himself, or doing something else rash, Fang Huai returned Spirit Absorption to him for half an hour every six hours.

But half an hour was nowhere near enough to repair his Qi Sea.

Before it could be fully repaired, Fang Huai borrowed Spirit Absorption back, causing the Qi Sea Zheng Fengzu had barely managed to mend to shatter again.

Draw in spiritual energy, shatter, draw in spiritual energy, shatter...

Zheng Fengzu finally broke down. A look of madness appeared in his eyes as he quietly edged toward the formation's boundary.

"Fang Huai, I know I can't escape, and I won't cling to life like a beaten dog. If I can take you down with me, at least I won't be dying for nothing."

A trace of sorrow crossed his eyes. "What a pity. If I'd gone to the New Sect sooner, perhaps things might have turned out differently.

"Old Ancestor, the formation core you left behind is about to serve its purpose."

His hand trembled as he reached for the formation core. All it would take was a slight twist to make the Clan Protection Array self-destruct and send him to apologize to the Old Ancestor.

"What are you muttering about?"

Fang Huai seized Zheng Fengzu's hand. Looking up, Zheng Fengzu saw Fang Huai gazing down at him with a cold smile.

"If you want to die, then die by yourself. Don't drag me into it."

Fang Huai tossed him aside, then continued, "You mentioned the New Sect before. What exactly is this New Sect?"

Zheng Fengzu spat. "You want to know? Maybe in your next life."

Fang Huai's lips curled up. "No need to wait for my next life. I can find out in this one."

Half an hour later, Fang Huai tossed Zheng Fengzu's battered corpse beside the Blood Jade Tree and let it absorb his blood and vital essence.

"Blood Jade Tree, Patriarch Zheng raised you for so many years, only to have you devour him completely in the end."

The demonic sects had plenty of ways to get information. Besides techniques such as Soul Searching Technique and Illusion Technique, they often used physical methods as well.

At first, Zheng Fengzu had stubbornly refused to talk. But before long, he had confessed everything.

Ten years ago, a blue-robed Foundation Establishment cultivator claiming to belong to the New Sect had come to the Zheng Family. He gave Zheng Fengzu a Blood Jade Tree seed and taught him how to cultivate it.

Feeding the Blood Jade Tree the blood and vital essence of living creatures could make it grow more leaves.

Blood Jade Leaves had many uses. They could induce hallucinations, aid a person's cultivation, or be made into Curse Gu to kill people without a trace.

The cultivator had promised that if the Zheng Family took good care of the Blood Jade Tree, they could head north and seek refuge with the New Sect if they ever ran into trouble.

To protect the Blood Jade Tree, the Zheng Family had moved their entire household.

They planted it inside the Clan Protection Array and had the demonic beasts guarding the array protect it. From time to time, they opened the array to feed the beasts corpses and harvest Blood Jade Leaves for cultivation.

After using every means at his disposal, Fang Huai had learned only this much.

He waved the Soul Banner, and Zheng Fengzu's remnant soul was drawn inside.

The people of the Zheng Family were pitiful, too. Fang Huai hadn't wanted to wipe them out.

But if he hadn't, that so-called New Sect cultivator might have summoned Zheng Fengzu's soul using a soul-summoning technique, exposing Fang Huai in the process.

He didn't believe he could survive making an enemy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As for the New Sect cultivator's promise that Zheng Fengzu could head north and seek him out, it was probably a lie as well.

The cultivator's real aim had been to trick Zheng Fengzu into helping him raise the Blood Jade Tree.

Before Liu Xiange left, Fang Huai had already instructed her to say that the Zheng Family's patriarch had betrayed the sect and attacked Lin Qian and Wu Sanli, only to be killed by the two of them working together.

He would claim that after surviving a battle to the death, Fang Huai had sensed an opportunity to break through, so he had gone in search of Sha Condensation Ground. He would return to the sect after his breakthrough.

The lie was full of holes and wouldn't hold up under scrutiny, but Fang Huai had already prepared a way to deal with that.

He would return the Corpse Sha Bird and the belongings of Lin Qian and Wu Sanli to their respective peaks, and give the Azure Wave Jade Carp's demon core and eyes to the elder of Liu Xiange's peak.

Tempted by the Water Spirit Pearl, the elder of his own peak would surely help cover for him.

And the peaks of Lin Qian and Wu Sanli had gotten their belongings back, so they wouldn't have much to say, either.

[Hundred Sha Technique (Incomplete), Third Layer: 100/100]

Now it was time for him to break through!

After taking a deep breath, he took out the Skinning Knife, poured spiritual energy into it, and cut open his skin.