The Qi Family Main Lineage's Taboo

He had not expected this newly promoted Qi Refining Stage Four Inner Sect Disciple to appear young yet wield such seasoned, ruthless methods. And his intentions were vicious—he had clearly come straight for the Qi Family.

He had directly blasted the production figures out of the steward, catching the Qi Family completely off guard and turning the situation into something difficult to control.

More importantly, this was what truly stirred killing intent in Qi Yuanzong's heart.

This Soul Devouring Sect Inner Sect Disciple had exposed, in a single breath, the secret the Qi Family had hidden for over a century.

The Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array beneath the Black Iron Essence Mine had taken the Qi Family an entire generation to construct. The painstaking effort, resources, and manpower poured into it were beyond counting; it had nearly hollowed out the entire Qi Family.

Especially more than ten years ago, in order to stabilize the great array, even the Qi Family's only three Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators had been sacrificed.

After paying such a staggering price, what lay within the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array was the hope for the Qi Family's resurgence.

It was even their hope of going one step further and becoming a family of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. There absolutely could not be the slightest loss.

Every outsider who knew this secret had to die.

What was more, the Qi Family had hidden the fact that beneath this Black Iron Essence mine lay an ultra-small subsidiary Spirit Stone vein.

It was precisely by relying on this incomplete Spirit Stone Mine, which had yet to fully develop, that the Qi Family ancestors had been able to set up the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array. They had even accepted Karmic Force entwining their bodies and Blood Sin merging into their flesh, dying without leaving behind even a trace of their Divine Souls or True Spirits.

They could not even be reborn through reincarnation.

And over the years, aside from the Qi Family continuously pouring resources into it, the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array had also operated by absorbing the embryonic small Spirit Stone Mine.

On Soul Devouring Sect territory, privately excavating a Spirit Stone Mine, refusing to report it, and maliciously damaging the mine vein were capital crimes under any cultivation faction.

Even for that reason, Qi Yuanzong absolutely could not allow the secret here to leak out in the slightest.

Otherwise, what awaited the entire Qi Family would be a catastrophe that blotted out the sky.

Though he did not know how Zheng Yi had discovered it—how he had exposed the hidden secret the instant he stepped into the mine valley—

Even a Soul Devouring Sect Inner Sect Disciple had to be killed.

And everyone in this valley who knew the secret today had to be silenced.

No risk of leakage could be allowed to exist.

The only way was to capture Zheng Yi, then spend some Spirit Stones to frame him for the damage caused. Only then might the Qi Family avert this crisis.

Of course, taking things this far would require no small amount of post-incident bribery within the Soul Devouring Sect, enough to leave the already weakened Qi Family badly battered.

Thus, Qi Yuanzong's hatred for Zheng Yi deepened by several degrees.

The Qi Family members released their Flying Swords one after another. Streaks of dazzling sword light shot toward him, the sword qi they unleashed seeming intent on swallowing him whole.

At the same time, Qi Yuanzong raised his voice in persuasion. "Lord Zheng, perhaps there is some misunderstanding here. Why not withdraw your hand? Our Qi Family can discuss this properly with you."

"If you turn back now, the Qi Family is willing to offer you a sum of cultivation resources. We can forge friendly ties and help one another. Would that not be better?"

In truth, in the eyes of the Qi Family's several leaders, Zheng Yi was already dead.

They spoke this way only to make Zheng Yi lower his guard, so they could kill him in a single blow and avoid further complications.

Though the Soul Devouring Sect was the superior sect, it was ultimately a Demonic Sect. For a certain price, making a mere Qi Refining Stage Four Inner Sect Disciple disappear was not impossible.

"My lord, run! The three Qi brothers are all beasts who eat people without even spitting out the bones. Do you see those miners? They were all seized by them from other places."

"Under their rule, the miners are replaced almost every half year. Those near death are all refined by them."

The fat man had not expected the three Qi brothers to target him as well. Once those incoming Flying Swords struck his body, he would surely die on the spot. He seemed to stop caring about anything and blurted it all out in one breath.

"My lord, if you get the chance, escape first. With the sect's power, you can come back later and surely wipe them out."

The fat man urged him, hoping Zheng Yi could avenge them.

"Fatty, I didn't expect you to have a good heart."

As he spoke, Zheng Yi swung the Soul Devouring Banner. Surging Sha Qi immediately soared into the sky, transforming into an enormous black cloud that blanketed the entire valley.

Within the roiling Sha Qi, savage ghostly figures flickered in and out of view. They collided ceaselessly with the incoming Flying Swords, directly knocking back their killing assault.

"Zheng Yi, I had intended to spare your life, but you truly do not know when to advance and when to retreat."

"Therefore, today, you will die!"

A cold gleam burst from Qi Yuanzong's eyes as he stared icily at Zheng Yi and spoke each word with deliberate force.

Zheng Yi's figure was shrouded within the vast black mist. Around him, countless Malevolent Ghosts seemed to stir and surge in indistinct shadows.

Upon hearing this, the tangible form of the Soul Devouring Banner emerged in his palm and floated in midair as he said,

"In matters like this, the victor becomes king, and the loser becomes a bandit."

"Whether I die or not is not for you to decide."

"It depends on whether the artifact in my hand is sharp enough..."

Zheng Yi pointed with one hand. The banner of the Soul Devouring Banner trembled violently, while countless black lines spread swiftly across the ground like a spiderweb, forming a massive spell array.

After being fused with Earth Soul Silver, this Lifebound Artifact's methods had improved once more. It could attack and defend as one, becoming even stranger and more ever-changing.

A figure in red appeared amid the black mist—it was the Soul Devouring Banner's primary soul, the Red-Clothed Female Ghost. Behind her, Yin Soldiers emerged one after another as though they had stepped forth from a passage through ancient ages, carrying an air of weathered antiquity and the dead.

A terrifying aura swept over everything like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking, making Zheng Yi, standing in the center of the field, seem like a demon commanding a king.

At this moment, Zheng Yi, wielding his Lifebound Artifact, the Soul Devouring Banner, had gone all out against three Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators.

In any case, he had broken free of the sect's restraints.

In this remote backwater, there were no high-level cultivators. Zheng Yi could play to his heart's content, recklessly unleashing his own advantages. For the next two or three years, this entire Ba Dong Town Mine region would answer to him.

Thus, Zheng Yi did not hesitate to display his greatest strength, intimidating the entire scene and making everyone bow their heads in submission.

Strike one punch to clear the way, and spare yourself a hundred punches to come.

He still needed the time afterward for cultivation; he could not be bothered to scheme and squabble in the shadows with these people.

Controlling everything with absolute strength was what those of the demonic path should do.

Those who submitted would become slaves. Those who resisted would all be killed.

This was Demonic Sect territory, after all. Most of these people had Blood Sin staining their hands; none of them were good people.

That included Zheng Yi himself.

It was nothing more than the strong devouring the weak.

And as Zheng Yi drove the Lifebound Artifact, the Soul Devouring Banner, with all his strength and the Soul Devouring Array spread out, the Qi Family members discovered with ugly expressions that they no longer even had a route of retreat.

Just as Zheng Yi had said, the only option now was to fight.

The victor became king. The defeated died.