Fated to Die, Every Last One of Them

The Southern Domain of Qitian.

The Dongfang Family.

The council chamber.

"Patriarch, Elder Shengxiong, good news! We found Muxue in the secret realm!"

Dongfang Yanyu entered the council chamber in a streak of light and reported to Dongfang Huayu and Dongfang Shengxiong.

"Where? Where is she? Did you bring her back?"

Dongfang Huayu asked urgently.

"No." Dongfang Yanyu shook her head regretfully. "A powerful force sucked us out of the secret realm. By the time we emerged, we had been scattered everywhere..."

"How could that happen?"

Dongfang Huayu looked crestfallen.

"Patriarch, there's worse news. Muxue killed every Wang Family member and Moon-Reflecting Sect disciple in the secret realm, including Wang Chenjue and Feng Quchu!"

Dongfang Yanyu continued her report.

"What?"

Dongfang Huayu jolted, unable to believe it.

"Yanyu, are you certain? Wasn't Muxue only at Qi Refinement Third Layer? How could she have killed Wang Chenjue and Feng Quchu?"

Dongfang Shengxiong asked doubtfully.

"Of course I'm certain!" Dongfang Yanyu nodded. "Word had already spread through the secret realm. This is what happened..."

"I saw Muxue with my own eyes as I was leaving the secret realm. She really has reached Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer!"

"What? What kind of extraordinary opportunity did Muxue find? How did she go from Qi Refinement Third Layer to Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer in just over a month?"

Dongfang Shengxiong was astonished.

A moment later, he murmured to himself, "Then again, if Elder Feng Lian hadn't suppressed her with a Runic Formation, she should have reached that level already."

"Muxue killed Wang Chenjue and Feng Quchu. The Wang Family and Moon-Reflecting Sect will surely retaliate against the Dongfang Family!"

"Elder Shengxiong, activate the clan's protective formation and tell everyone to be ready to fight at any moment!"

Seated above them, Dongfang Huayu gave the order in a grave voice, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Yes, Patriarch!"

Dongfang Shengxiong left to carry out the order.

"Yanyu, go and get some rest."

Dongfang Huayu waved her away, his face etched with worry.

"Yes, Patriarch!"

The Wang Family.

The council chamber.

A figure staggered into the council chamber, his face pale and his body frail. He stumbled and nearly fell.

"Chenjue?!"

Everyone in the chamber cried out and rushed to support him.

"Chenjue, what happened to you?"

Seeing Wang Chenjue on the brink of death, they asked with concern and bewilderment.

"Jue'er, quick, take this Healing Pill!"

Wang Chenjue's mother, Du Huaiyu, was in tears. She took out a Healing Pill and held it to his lips, urging him again and again. "Jue'er, take it! It's a supreme-grade Healing Pill. It will heal you!"

"It's no use, Mother."

Wang Chenjue weakly pushed Du Huaiyu's hand away and forced a faint smile. "I bought my life back with the Rot-Piercing Sacred Immortal's Life-Devouring Talisman, but I still can't hold on to it."

After three days of rest and absorbing the blood and cultivation of hundreds of people, he had recovered more than halfway. But as he left the secret realm, the force pulling him out had gravely injured him.

Perhaps I, Wang Chenjue, was fated to die. Ha ha ha...

Wang Chenjue laughed bitterly to himself.

"No. There must be a way to save you. There must be!"

Du Huaiyu frantically channeled her Source Power, but not a trace of Source Qi could enter Wang Chenjue's body.

"How can this be? How?"

Du Huaiyu sobbed, refusing to believe it.

"It's no use, Mother."

Wang Chenjue's voice grew weaker.

"Tell me who did this to you. I'll tear them limb from limb!"

Seeing his condition, Du Huaiyu wiped away her tears and spoke with bloodshot eyes.

"Dongfang Muxue!"

Wang Chenjue's answer was soft, but his hatred knew no bounds.

"Dongfang Muxue?"

Everyone in the council chamber was incredulous.

"Wasn't Dongfang Muxue only at Qi Refinement Third Layer?"

Wang Huyong's eyes widened.

"No. She... cough..."

Wang Chenjue coughed up a mouthful of blood, then continued, "I don't know what extraordinary opportunity she found, but she's reached Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer. This is what happened..."

"She has fellow disciples, so she must belong to a Sect. Mother, Patriarch, elders, you must find her Sect and avenge me..."

Wang Chenjue's voice faded. Before he could finish, he died with hatred in his heart.

"Jue'er! No, Jue'er!"

Du Huaiyu held Wang Chenjue's body and wept uncontrollably.

"My condolences, sister-in-law."

"Dear sister, please take heart."

The others looked just as downcast as they tried to comfort her.

"Jue'er, Mother will avenge you!"

After a long while, Du Huaiyu let go of Wang Chenjue. Her eyes turned cold, and her long hair stirred without a breeze. "Dongfang Muxue, the Dongfang Family—all of them deserve to die!"

She turned to Wang Hansheng, patriarch of the Wang Family. "Patriarch, please give the order to destroy the Dongfang Family!"

"Very well!" Wang Hansheng nodded and commanded sternly, "First Elder, send people to find out which Sect Dongfang Muxue belongs to. Contact the Moon-Reflecting Sect as well. We'll attack the Dongfang Family together!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

Wang Family First Elder Wang Jingyuan left in a streak of light.

What a pity about Dongfang Muxue's Sacred Ice Spirit Body.

Wang Huyong sighed inwardly.

The Southern Domain of Qitian.

"Disciples from our Sect returned and reported that Dongfang Muxue's group of three obtained a great many Heavenly Treasures in the secret realm. They even got their hands on its greatest treasure!"

"Our clansmen reported the same, though they weren't certain whether that pitch-black object really was the secret realm's greatest treasure."

"Dongfang Muxue? Which Dongfang Muxue?"

"Dongfang Muxue of the Dongfang Family, of course!"

"The Dongfang Family? Why don't we join forces and rob them?"

"Are you mad? The Dongfang Family ranks tenth. You think you can just rob them?"

"Exactly. Besides, Dongfang Muxue might not even be with the Dongfang Family. She may be in some Sect in Eastern Search!"

"What? Which Sect?"

"No one knows yet. When the cultivators left the secret realm, everything was chaos. No one paid any attention to Dongfang Muxue and her two companions."

"I heard those three killed Wang Chenjue and Feng Quchu in the secret realm. The Wang Family and Moon-Reflecting Sect will surely hunt them down."

"Once the Wang Family and Moon-Reflecting Sect find their Sect, should we join forces and wipe it out?"

"If those two find it first, what would be left for us?"

"True. Still, since Dongfang Muxue killed Wang Chenjue and Feng Quchu, I'd say the Dongfang Family's days are numbered!"

"It's only a matter of time. Let's sit back and watch the show!"

Search Province.

The Azure Feather Sect.

Inside the Sect.

The Discussion Hall.

"Shiwei, did you gain anything from your trip to the Qigu Secret Realm?"

Seated above them, Jin Pingqi asked with interest.

"Yes, Sect Master. Everything we obtained is in here."

Xie Shiwei took out a Storage Bag and presented it to Jin Pingqi.

Jin Pingqi accepted the Storage Bag and glanced inside. His face lit up. "Good. There are plenty of Heavenly Treasures."

"Thank you all for your hard work. Every disciple who entered the secret realm this time will receive five High-Grade Source Stones and one Low-Grade Cultivation-Enhancement Pill."

"Thank you, Sect Master!" Xie Shiwei thanked him at once, then changed the subject. "Sect Master, there's one more thing I need to report."

"Oh? What is it?"

Jin Pingqi raised an eyebrow.