Ferocity

The six great demonic Golden Core Aristocratic Clans of Black Demon Island had over a hundred of their disciples abducted by the Yin-Yang Sect this time. The Xun Household accounted for the most, with over twenty.

The moment the female cultivator of the Xun Household activated her distress talisman, the jade talismans carried by the Xun Household cultivators throughout the secret realm trembled in unison, emitting waves of green light.

A sweep of their Divine Sense over the jade talismans told these cultivators the approximate direction of the distress talisman.

"Only those three core disciples are entitled to send out distress talismans. If we earn merit by rescuing them, the Lineage is sure to reward us later!"

Some looked into the distance, itching to act.

"I wonder who's capable enough to force those few to send out a distress talisman. Heh, I'd better not join the excitement."

Others kept their heads down and continued mining Ice-Soul Mystic Crystal, choosing to ignore it.

Atop the snowy mountain.

Not long after Chai Hongzhou finished speaking, two streaks of flight light came from the distant horizon, one after the other.

The two arrived in succession and did not seem to be together.

The man in front spotted the Ice-Soul Treasure Tree on the summit, and his eyes immediately lit up. He charged straight toward it. "I am Yue Gang of Black Demon Island! Hand over the spirit fruit, and I'll spare your life!"

He seemed accustomed to behaving with wild arrogance, considering himself invincible among his peers. Seeing that Fang Hong was at the fifth level of Qi Refining, two minor realms below him, he secretly rejoiced all the more that Heaven had opened its eyes. The spirit fruit of this treasure tree was rightfully his to claim.

While he was gloating, a flash of silver light suddenly blazed before his eyes, too dazzling to look at directly. In his daze, a thread of chilly, razor-sharp energy seemed to sweep around his neck. Before he even realized it, his head slid off.

The protective treasure he had always relied upon was like paper before that incomparably sharp sword light, failing to hinder it in the slightest.

The cultivator following behind saw only a flash of silver ahead. Then Yue Gang, whose strength was far from weak among the Aristocratic Clan disciples of his cultivation level on Black Demon Island, suddenly had his head severed from his body.

Horror seized him. He abruptly turned his flight light and fled back the way he had come without looking back.

Only then did Chai Hongzhou realize how Fang Hong had killed the female cultivator of the Xun Household earlier. He could not help secretly thanking his luck that he had not rashly tried to seize the treasure.

Fang Hong stood beneath the Ice-Soul Treasure Tree, sharp pain throbbing in the Niwan Palace between his brows. This was the result of exhausting too much Divine Sense to activate the talisman.

He took a spirit pill from his storage pouch and swallowed it. Within a few breaths, a cool, soothing sensation filled his Niwan Palace. His pain and weariness vanished, and his Divine Sense recovered completely.

The Fang Household of Yunchuan Island possessed a natural secret realm that produced a natural spiritual substance called Spirit-Washing Dew. It had the wondrous ability to cleanse the soul and strengthen Divine Sense, and True Disciples from many Golden Core sects came to their door seeking it.

The Fang Household had also built its fortune on this substance.

The pill Fang Hong had taken was precisely the Soul-Washing Pill, a first-tier superior-grade spirit pill refined from Spirit-Washing Dew. Not only could it quickly restore Divine Sense, it could also temporarily strengthen it to deal with peril.

"Fellow Daoist Chai."

Fang Hong looked down at Chai Hongzhou and smiled. "Sorry for the trouble, but please pick up that man's storage pouch for me."

Chai Hongzhou gave a strained laugh. "All right."

As he spoke, he flew down the mountain, took both Yue Gang of Black Demon Island's storage pouch and the female Xun Household cultivator's storage pouch, then returned to the summit. Secretly on guard, he approached Fang Hong and presented them with both hands.

Fang Hong accepted the two storage pouches and patted Chai Hongzhou's arm. "Many thanks."

The corner of Chai Hongzhou's eye twitched violently. He had almost thought Fang Hong was about to attack him. His mouth dry, he said, "It was no trouble at all. Hardly worth mentioning."

Fang Hong looked at him with the ghost of a smile. "Then sorry for the trouble, but please keep watch at the foot of the mountain. From the looks of it, quite a few more people will be coming shortly."

Chai Hongzhou swallowed and nodded in agreement.

Fang Hong added considerately, "If you haven't gathered enough Ice-Soul Mystic Crystal, I'll make up the shortfall for you later. You needn't worry about that."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Chai Hongzhou cupped his hands in a bow and immediately flew down the mountain again.

Before the time it took to eat a meal had passed.

Over a dozen lavishly dressed people had gathered in the sky a little over a li from the summit. They gazed at the Ice-Soul Treasure Tree from afar, their eyes burning.

Had the cultivator who had turned back earlier not stopped them, these Xun Household cultivators would already have swarmed forward to fight over the treasure tree's spirit fruit.

"If I saw correctly, that man must have a second-tier sword talisman. Sanniang and Yue Gang were both killed instantly by it."

So the man said.

At these words, hesitation appeared on quite a few faces.

At the center of the crowd, a man whose face was full of defiance and ferocity said coldly, "He's only one man. How could he stand against all thirteen of us? As long as we surround him and attack together, how could he possibly survive?"

He swept his gaze over them, his tone turning vicious. "Since he killed Sanniang, he is a mortal enemy of our Xun Household. If any of you dare retreat, I'll report this to the council of elders once we get out and have the Lineage cut off your cultivation resources."

"Young Master Li, we know you're eager to avenge Sanniang, but this needs careful consideration. I think we should-" someone advised.

The man raised his hand to interrupt, declaring with iron certainty, "If it were only revenge, there would be no need for such haste. But even our Foundation Establishment elders drool over that Ice-Soul Spirit Fruit. I am determined to obtain it."

"He may possess a deadly talisman, but his Divine Sense cultivation is limited, after all. He won't be able to keep using it for long. I'll strike first and tie up his sword talisman. Then you can seize an opening to kill him and take the fruit."

"If we succeed, I, Xun Li, will certainly reward you generously in the future!"

They exchanged glances and pondered briefly. After weighing the matter, they nodded one after another. "All right! We'll do as Young Master Li says."

Xun Li wasted no more words. Spreading his sleeves, he took the lead and flew toward Fang Hong, with the other Xun Household cultivators close behind. Only the cultivator who had initially dissuaded them quietly fell to the rear.

The thirteen Xun Household cultivators flew through the air, bearing straight down on the summit.

At some point, scattered cultivators had also gathered along the distant horizon, watching from afar.

Su Yao stood on a mountaintop, silently watching Fang Hong's side. The Ice-Soul Treasure Tree still needs two days to mature. I wonder how long he can hold out.

Beneath the Ice-Soul Treasure Tree.

As Fang Hong watched the Xun Household cultivators charging murderously toward him, a surge of anger and viciousness rose in his heart as well.

Without another word, he immediately activated the Upper Clarity Sword Talisman.

The silver sword light shot faster than lightning, heading straight for the leader of the Xun Household cultivators!

A savage look flashed across Xun Li's face. He flicked his sleeve, shaking out a net woven from dark green silk cords, and cast it over the sword light.

The dark green net contained a force of primal magnetism that naturally exerted a powerful attraction on the energy of metal and iron. The instant it was unleashed, it caught the silver sword light, turning into a mass of dense, dark green radiance threaded with countless strands that tangled endlessly with the sword light.

A second-tier Dharma Treasure?

Fang Hong frowned.

Seeing this, the other Xun Household cultivators needed no urging from Xun Li. They immediately seized the opportunity and attacked Fang Hong from multiple sides.

Fang Hong brushed his fingers over his storage pouch and took out something resembling a chessboard. He set it before him and flicked a finger. A straight pillar of jade-green light immediately rose from the disk.

The next moment, the blue-green pillar of light abruptly spread outward, becoming a huge, upturned jade-green bowl that enveloped an area several zhang across, including the treasure tree.

The jade light resembled a thick layer of seawater, with countless formation patterns flickering within it, giving an impression of unbreakable strength.

A first-tier formation, the Jade Water Formation.

Fang Hong continuously fed handfuls of spirit stones into the formation disk, and the surrounding barrier of light grew even thicker.

This formation disk had been refined by a Foundation Establishment elder of the Fang Household who specialized in formations. It was a first-tier formation of the most convenient kind.

A second-tier formation, by contrast, required multiple formation disks as its focal points, the ground as a great formation disk, and the arrangement of formation flags in conjunction with formation configurations and patterns before it could take shape.

The magic artifacts and spells of the Xun Household cultivators struck the Jade Water Formation's barrier of light, immediately sending rings of ripples across it.

One Xun Household cultivator shouted, "This is a first-tier formation! He can't hold out for long! Everyone, attack with all your strength!"