Beastly Divine Abilities [Third update, seeking reads]

Countless tiny droplets surged from the torrential waters cascading beneath the azure canopy and clung to Elder Xu's dharma robe.

The instant the word "Break!" rang out, The tiny droplets merged into a single water bubble that enveloped Elder Xu.

The moment his words fell, the bubble began collapsing inward, unleashing a terrifying force!

Xu Qiancheng's expression changed drastically. He could sense that this power was no weaker than a talisman treasure!

At that critical moment, the shadow of a snake appeared on his face.

Immediately after, A giant python gleaming with treasure light burrowed out from his sleeve, instantly coiling around him. His entire body abruptly shrank, as though he had completely retreated into the fortress of flesh formed by the python's coiled body.

The next instant, The water bubble exploded with a thunderous blast. The treasure-lit python was blown to a bloody pulp, but it had at least survived.

From within its coiled body, a streak of red light shot into the sky.

It was Elder Xu!

He was actually planning to flee upward.

"Hmph!

Think you can escape?"

As the cold snort rang out, the azure canopy suddenly accelerated, and the vortex formed by the waters generated an immense suction force.

Yet something unexpected happened!

Within the red streak of light was not only Elder Xu. Somehow, he had used a secret technique to shrink his body to that of a dwarf, and was now riding atop a large rooster with three-colored tail feathers.

"Die!"

Xu Qiancheng let out a furious shout. A profound and mysterious symbol appeared in both his and the rooster's eyes.

The next instant, The four eyes seemed to overlap, firing forth a blazing red beam.

Boom!

The beam's power was astonishing. Wherever it passed, the water waves instantly evaporated. It flashed by and struck the azure canopy dead-on.

A fist-sized hole was immediately blasted through the canopy. The magical artifact's spiritual energy fell into disarray, and it plummeted from the sky. The water waves naturally vanished without a trace as well.

"What kind of technique is that?!"

He Sheng, hidden in the shadows, abruptly contracted his pupils in shock.

Using his divine sense, he sensed that Elder Xu's strike was likewise no weaker than a talisman treasure—it had directly crippled the Ten Thousand Billows Umbrella!

This man is only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, yet he can wield such methods. His strength is formidable. As Lin Wanrou's capable assistant, he absolutely cannot be allowed to live!

With that thought, He Sheng did not hesitate in the slightest. He shot into the sky using Subtle Ripple Water Escape, Relying on the speed of his water escape to strike later yet arrive first, he intercepted him in midair while also producing a top-grade magical artifact—the River Pearl!

Splash...

In an instant, A green pearl hung high in the sky, and surging river waters poured down in a flying torrent, engulfing the dwarf elder riding the rooster from above.

At the same time, He Sheng once more used the technique that had previously injured Elder Xu's divine sense—the Vengeful Soul Imprint!

The Vengeful Soul Imprint could not only track targets through resentful power; it could also use that power to launch attacks against the soul.

But this time, He Sheng held nothing back.

As he formed hand seals, the Vengeful Soul Imprint, concealed within the rushing river waters as it shot downward, exploded with a thunderous burst several zhang away from Elder Xu!

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

The unending shrieks of vengeful souls, accompanied by streams of bloody light, instantly left Elder Xu suspended in midair, dazed and motionless.

Seizing the opportunity, countless tiny droplets surged from the plunging river waters, and He Sheng immediately used Water-Gathering Break once more.

However, Water-Gathering Break's wind-up was truly somewhat long; it always required several breaths of preparation.

Yet within those few breaths, the situation changed again.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

As the large rooster soared skyward, it threw back its head and crowed.

At the crow of a rooster, all under heaven turned white. The moment the colorful-tailed rooster cried out, the blood-red haze clouding Elder Xu's eyes swiftly receded. He immediately burned more essence blood and woke from the soul attack.

Seeing the water bubble had formed and was about to collapse inward, Elder Xu and the colorful-tailed rooster locked eyes once more, firing out a blazing red beam of fire-element light.

Boom!

As water and fire collided, most of their power canceled each other out, but the remaining force still erupted with a bang, as though an enormous ball of water and a ball of fire had exploded simultaneously in midair.

The blast waves directly cut off Elder Xu's upward flight. He and the rooster were hurled downward, plummeting toward the ground.

Before he could steady himself, the sky darkened!

He Sheng had long been prepared. As he brought out the River Pearl and unleashed Water-Gathering Break once more, he secretly took out Brother Piao's trump card as well—the talisman treasure, "Cold Yin Palm"!

Only he, with Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation and spiritual power tempered by the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm, possessed reserves far beyond those of cultivators at the same level. Only then could he activate a talisman treasure while using trump cards in succession.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator could not manage it even at the cost of their origin.

Yet the talisman treasure's preparation time was even longer than Water-Gathering Break's. After nearly ten breaths of continuously pouring spiritual power into it, when Elder Xu and the great red rooster fell back into the hall together, a white giant palm over thirty meters wide, vast enough to blot out the sky and cover the earth, came crashing down!

"No!"

Elder Xu let out a terrified roar, but the instant it sounded, it was crushed beneath the white giant palm.

Rumble!

The main hall of Evening Zhi Residence was as frail as papier-mâché beneath that sky-covering white palm, instantly reduced to ruins.

Bone-piercing cold followed close behind, freezing and crushing every trace.

Still not at ease, He Sheng unleashed Water-Gathering Break again, intending to destroy the corpses and erase the evidence within the hall.

At the same time, he took out the rope Wu Feng had previously used to capture Ji Yunlai. After binding the Treasure-Light Great Snake, whose hide had split open and whose flesh was torn apart, leaving it barely clinging to life, he flung it into the courtyard.

Bang!

Amid the shattered ruins, Water-Gathering Break exploded once again.

This time, Elder Xu's aura vanished completely. Together with the colorful-tailed rooster, he had been wiped out cleanly.

Seeing this, He Sheng swiftly cleared the battlefield. After putting away Elder Xu's Beast-Controlling Ring and storage pouch, he immediately shouted, his voice resounding through the Lower River Branch:

"Xiang'er, what are you still standing around for?!

That old ghost Elder Xu is dead!

Quickly empty out the secret vault, then go raid the counters for whatever valuables remain."

He Sheng's voice was like thunder. It not only rang through the Lower River Branch but carried far into the distance, mixed with the pressure of Foundation Establishment cultivation, drawing the gaze of everyone in the market.

"Where's the thunder? Where's the thunder?!"

On the second floor of Ten Thousand Spirits Studio, Sheng Changming had been reclining in his chair with his feet propped up, dozing off.

A thunderous voice came from nearby, like a bolt of lightning exploding beside his ear, startling him into leaping to his feet.

As a direct descendant of the Sheng Family's main line, Sheng Changming had poor spiritual-root aptitude and was not diligent in cultivation. At nearly forty years old, he had only barely reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement. Yet he had always been deeply trusted by the family ancestor, and was now the head shopkeeper of Ten Thousand Spirits Studio.

Sheng Changming shoved open the window and saw towering flames rising from the inner courtyard behind the bluestone pavilion across the street!

"The Lower River Branch... really has run into trouble?!"

Sheng Changming's heart jolted.

Yesterday, he had returned to the family as usual for the monthly clan meeting. Yet after the meeting, the ancestor had kept him behind for private instructions. Above all else, he was to keep watch on the Lower River Branch opposite Ten Thousand Spirits Studio and report back to the family immediately if anything happened.

But Sheng Changming did not leave right away. He was an experienced hand at handling affairs and knew that if he rushed back without first finding out what had happened, then should the ancestor question him closely, a good deed could turn bad, and merit into nothing.

Thus, seeing the Lower River Branch's shop hands and attendants continuously retreating from the store, every one of them wearing a look of panic, Sheng Changming directly leaped down from the second floor. After staggering and steadying himself, he approached a Lower River Branch attendant he had exchanged greetings with before and smoothly began prying for information.

Before long, Sheng Changming learned the whole story!

"Artifact-refining retainer Wu Feng killed Elder Xu, Lin Wanrou's personal guard?

Then joined forces with Lin Wanrou's personal maid to loot the Lower River Branch clean?!"

Hiss!

Sheng Changming sucked in a sharp breath, knowing the matter had grown enormous. Without further delay, he rushed toward the outskirts of the market.

The instant he left the market, Sheng Changming brought out a bronze mirror and flew toward Golden Inscription Valley.

The Sheng Family's ancestral grounds, Golden Inscription Valley, lay in the middle reaches of the Silver Sand River, two or three hundred li from Lower River Market.

By the time Sheng Changming flew all the way back to Golden Inscription Valley, it was already deep into the night.

Ignoring everything else, he took out the token the ancestor had given him and went straight to Caution Hall, where the ancestor resided.

But just as he entered the courtyard before the hall, he heard a burst of fierce argument!