Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor, the martial arts training ground on the back mountain.
Zhao Chengyu's back slammed against the stone wall, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
He was seventeen years old, his body not yet fully developed, wearing a faded gray outfit with dark blue patterns of the Soul Control Faction of the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor sewn onto the cuffs.
Before them, seven people formed a semi-circle, blocking the only exit from the training ground.
" Zhao Chengyu, I'll ask you one more time."
The leading youth took a step forward.
Zhao Chengxiong, nineteen years old, is the grandson of the First Elder Zhao Y ehan.
He had broad shoulders and a thick back, an arrogant face, and a condescending smile that always graced the corners of his mouth.
There was something strange about him.
Beneath the fluctuations of the Mystic Realm cultivation, there was another oppressive force—turbid, cold, and gloomy, like a dead fish that had been soaking in stagnant water for three days.
When is your older brother, Zhao Chengkong, coming back?
Zhao Chengyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, but did not answer.
His gaze swept over the disciples of the same age behind Zhao Chengxiong.
Two people's eyes changed.
The boundary between the iris and the pupil disappeared, replaced by a vertical slit. Like a snake, like a lizard.
Demonic Eyes.
Once the Soul Fusion Faction has cultivated to a certain level, they will integrate the remnant souls of demon servants into their own sea of consciousness, thereby amplifying their spiritual power and physical body.
The price is that the body will develop irreversible demonic characteristics.
The lord of the manor explicitly forbids disciples under the age of twenty from practicing the Soul Fusion Technique.
But Zhao Chengxiong's men clearly didn't take this rule seriously.
"Brother, don't waste your breath on him."
A clear but tense voice came from behind the crowd.
Zhao Nan, sixteen years old, is Zhao Chengyu's younger sister and Zhao Chengkong's youngest sister.
She was held up by two female disciples of the Soul Fusion Faction, her arms were held by her, and there was a fresh finger mark on her face, but her eyes were fixed on Zhao Chengxiong, and she didn't say a word.
Zhao Chengyu clenched his fists.
" Zhao Chengxiong, you can hurt me, but let go of my sister."
Zhao Chengxiong tilted his head, a hint of mockery flashing in his vertical pupils.
"Put?"
He stretched out his right hand, fingers spread, and a wisp of gray-green mist appeared in his palm. Within the mist, a distorted demonic face could be Soundless seen, roaring silently.
Soul Fusion Technique - Soul Lodging Palm.
Do you think you still have the right to talk to me like that?!
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the disciples watching nearby all changed.
Some people wanted to step forward to dissuade him, but when they saw the cold gazes of the two disciples with vertical pupils behind Zhao Chengxiong, they stopped in their tracks and finally lowered their heads.
Zhao Chengyu stared at the grayish-green mist.
He is only at the Spirit Realm Fourth Level.
He was a whole major realm below Zhao Chengxiong, not to mention that the other party had fused with a demon soul to amplify his power.
We can't beat them.
He knew it very well.
But he still moved.
"Court death!"
A sadistic excitement flashed in Zhao Chengxiong's eyes.
The Soul Lodging Palm struck out, and a gray-green mist enveloped the demon's face, rushing towards Zhao Chengyu's face.
Zhao Chengyu did not retreat. He formed a hand seal with his right hand, and a dark blue spiritual thread shot out from his sea of consciousness— the Soul-Binding Cord, a basic technique of the Soul Control Faction.
The silk threads struck the gray-green mist and entangled the demonic face.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Click.
The dark blue Soul-Binding Cord snapped.
The spiritual power of Spirit Realm Fourth Level was simply no match for the demonic soul activated by the Mystic Realm Soul Fusion.
The remaining Soul Lodging Palm struck Zhao Chengyu's chest, sending him flying.
"Elder brother!"
Zhao Nan struggled to rush forward, but was held down firmly by two female disciples.
Zhao Chengyu fell to the ground, rolled twice, and then pushed himself up. A piece of his clothes on his chest was burned through by the gray-green Yao Qi, and his charred flesh was exposed.
He gritted his teeth and stood up straight, without making a sound.
Zhao Chengxiong slowly walked over and looked down at him from his elevated position.
Do you know why your older brother is in such a hurry to go back?
Zhao Chengyu raised his head.
Zhao Chengxiong squatted down, his voice so low that only two people could hear him.
"Because your Soul Control Faction days are over."
He stretched out his finger and tapped Zhao Chengyu's forehead.
"Grandpa said that in three days, the elders' meeting will vote again on the future cultivation path of the manor. The Soul Fusion Technique will be fully implemented, and all the cultivation methods of the Soul Control Faction will be sealed away."
Zhao Chengyu's pupils suddenly contracted.
"If your lineage knows what's good for you, you'll obediently stand on our side. If not—"
Zhao Chengxiong stood up and casually kicked Zhao Chengyu in the ribs.
"Waste!"
Zhao Chengyu grunted, clenching his teeth tightly. He wasn't unaware of the key information in Zhao Chengxiong's words.
Three days later, the elders' meeting was held.
Grandpa said...
The Grand Elder Zhao Y ehan, has already begun to openly seize power.
His father Zhao Kuohai, has remained silent to this day.
This is not normal.
Unless—the father knew nothing about it at all, or the father was held back by something.
Zhao Chengxiong had already turned around and was leading his men out of the training ground. He paused as he passed Zhao Nan.
"Little girl, you look a lot like your mother."
Zhao Nan's gaze was as cold as ice, and she didn't say a word.
Zhao Chengxiong smiled and left with his men.
The training ground was empty.
Zhao Nan ran to Zhao Chengyu's side and knelt down to check his injuries.
"Brother, are you stupid? Spirit Realm Fourth Level fighting Mystic Realm, especially one who has fused with a demon soul? Do you want to die?"
Zhao Chengyu sat down against the stone wall, his breathing hoarse.
Did you receive your brother's message?
Zhao Nan shook her head.
"I sent a distress talisman to my elder brother yesterday, but I haven't received a reply yet." She paused, lowering her voice, "I suspect the First Elder's faction has blocked the manor's communication array."
Zhao Chengyu closed his eyes.
The Soul Control Faction has been in decline for a long time, and the core disciples of the Manor Lord's lineage are less than one-third of those of the Soul Fusion Faction.
In the past few months, the Grand Elder has been pressing hard, first cutting off the Soul Control Faction's supply of spirit mines, and then stripping the three Soul Control Elders of their voting rights in the council hall.
Now, even communications are being blocked.
This isn't some factional struggle; it's a coup.
"I believe my brother will come back."
Zhao Chengyu opened his eyes and looked at his younger sister.
Zhao Nan bit her lip and did not refute.
She helped Zhao Chengyu to his feet, and the two walked along the path behind the mountain towards their residence.
As Zhao Chengyu passed the main hall, he looked up and glanced at it.
The main gate of the hall was tightly closed, and eight guards dressed in black armor stood in front of it.
These guards were just replaced three days ago.
They were all the Elder's men.
Zhao Chengyu withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and continued walking.
Outside the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor, on the northern Jade Screen Mountain Range.
Two Crimson-Maned Beast shattered the thin mist in the mountains and stopped on a cliff.
Zhao Chengkong reined in the horses, his face grave as he gazed at the massive mountain villa shrouded in mist in the distance.
"Arrive."
Su Yu dismounted from the Crimson-Maned Beast.
He stood on the edge of the cliff, his gaze sweeping over the entire Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor. Built against the mountain, its palaces and pavilions stretched out in a continuous line, its scale no less than any aristocratic mansion in Qing Province City.
But he noticed a detail.
The number of patrol teams roaming the patrol routes around the villa was three times greater than Zhao Chengkong had described.
"Are these the usual number of sentries at your resort?"
Zhao Chengkong's face darkened.
"No."
He took a deep breath, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the reins bulging.
"Brother Su, I'm afraid the situation is more serious than I thought."
A mountain breeze swept across the precipice.
The Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor stood majestically in the distance, its gates wide open, yet exuding a chilling aura that kept people at a distance.
Su Yu raised his hand and pressed on the hilt of the knife at his waist.
Let's go.
"Since we're already here..."