An Arrival

Outside the small courtyard.

The Daoist Mu's eyes flashed with a blue light as he carefully scanned the array's protective barrier.

"Strange, I've never seen this formation before. Could it have been created by some formation master?"

Since he accidentally entered that secret realm, he obtained the [Withering and Flourishing Eternal Spring Art], which greatly increased his lifespan.

In order to unravel the formations in the secret realm and obtain the treasures, I once studied the art of formations on my own, and I have a basic understanding of ordinary formations.

However, the formation before them was completely incomprehensible.

Similar to the "Four Symbols Spirit-Locking Array," but with improvements to many nodes, it's practically a reconstructed array pattern.

"However, no matter what, it's still built upon a first-tier Spirit Vein, Restriction-Breaking Talisman can break it."

Break the formation, kill and seize the treasures, then leave immediately. The Su Household should be nearing Foundation Establishment soon!

Daoist Mu's face darkened. The Han Household, too, would all pay the price!

Just then, red signals began to rise again on the island, and two figures appeared quickly.

The two Qi Refining Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. One was a bodyguard of the Su Household, and the other was a gaunt middle-aged man with a gloomy face. He was none other than Old Jia's good friend, a cultivator surnamed Wang.

The Su Household's secret guards were cautious, unsure of their opponent's strength, and dared not make a move for the moment, shouting:

"You, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, dare to come to Bamboo Creek Island to hunt down Miss Su? What do you take my Su Household?"

The lean man was an impatient fellow who had been involved in many murders and robberies, especially robbing naive young men from wealthy Aristocratic Clan.

He didn't take the eldest sister of the Su Household too seriously. How could a woman, even at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, compare to him?

Moreover, they are both at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, two against one!

"Why waste words with him? Just take him down and bring him to Young Master Junsong to receive his reward!" As soon as he finished speaking, the cultivator surnamed Wang drew a black blade and slashed it down at the gray-robed old man.

At the same time, he also made sure to put on a layer of Golden Light Talisman.

The Daoist Mu's eye twitched. "You're courting death!"

He flung out the Azure Centipede Vine, which, once unleashed, conjured several afterimages that lashed out at the two like whips.

The cultivator surnamed Wang quickly retreated a few steps, when he suddenly noticed something unusual beneath his feet: several vines, as thick as thighs, had broken through the soil.

The vine, covered in red barbs, coiled around the cultivator surnamed Wang like a python pouncing and attacking.

He was both shocked and furious. Before he could react, a hidden shadow silently pierced through the golden light barrier with a "ding," and he felt a sudden chill between his brows.

"Why didn't my Divine Sense detect it?" With this obsession, the cultivator surnamed Wang fell into darkness.

The Su Household's secret guards were shocked. They manipulated their ring-shaped magical Law Artifact to block the vine shadows, and then saw the gray-robed old man take out a gourd-shaped magical Law Artifact and spray out black water that made a "sizzling" sound.

The circular Law Artifact was corroded by heavy water, and its exterior was instantly charred black, causing its Law Power to be rapidly depleted.

Fortunately, it was blocked, but in the next instant, the jade seal, the size of a small house, fell from the sky and crashed down, flattening it flat.

The Su Household's secret guards died with their eyes wide open in disbelief. Who was this person, and how could he control so many Law Artifact at the same time?

When Su Changhe, who came to provide support, witnessed this scene, he was terrified.

It swiftly retreated back to the mansion, activating all its formations.

The Daoist Mu almost laughed himself silly after accepting the Law Artifact and Storage Bag.

"You dare call yourselves Qi Refining Ninth Layer?"

Guo Changying, renowned for her marksmanship and wielding top-grade magical Law Artifact, had to obediently offer up the Red Iron Bamboo.

The Daoist Mu looked at the formation, took out a Restriction-Breaking Talisman, and slammed it down.

Zhou Ning appeared in front of the courtyard just as the man took out the Restriction-Breaking Talisman.

He frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy. He had told Su Youyou about the Restriction-Breaking Talisman after Guo Changying attacked Bamboo Creek Island.

When Su Youyou modified the formation, she mentioned that she would make certain arrangements to counter the Restriction-Breaking Talisman.

The Restriction-Breaking Talisman burst forth with blinding white light. The array's protective shield, struck by this attack, was as if its conduit had been severed. The area that was attacked instantly dimmed, followed by a large hole appearing.

The Daoist Mu's face lit up with joy, and he vanished into the distance.

He had only taken half a step when the array flags shone brightly, and the array patterns seemed to be reconstructed, filling the crack with another light shield and locking it firmly in place.

Several spirit-locking chains pierced through the air and wrapped around him. The Daoist Mu sensed something was wrong and quickly retreated.

He stared at the formation, his face turning extremely pale.

This formation master is highly skilled, as he was able to come up with such a solution.

If we keep breaking through these barriers, who knows how many Restriction-Breaking Talisman we'll need?

Even if you go through a lot of trouble to break through and get the Foundation Establishment materials, you'll still lose money.

He had already obtained the second-tier puppet from Su Yunjin, so this trip wasn't a complete loss.

Moreover, Su Yunjin was poisoned and was already doomed.

After understanding the risks, the Daoist Mu stepped onto the gray shuttle and left without hesitation, not even uttering any harsh words.

Zhou Ning watched him leave, and breathed a sigh of relief.

This gray-robed old man is truly terrifying in strength; he killed two Qi Refining Ninth Layer in just a few moves.

In a one-on-one fight, he doesn't know if he can win without using his Straw Puppet.

Although the gray shuttle had gone far away, Zhou Ning had not left the formation. Who knew if it was a trap?

He looked around; neither Scholar Xu nor Old Jia were there. Those two were quite lucky.

Zhou Ning returned to the room, and Su Yunjin's eyelashes trembled slightly after he touched her.

In a few breaths, he slowly opened his eyes, his voice extremely weak:

"Is that Zhou Ning? Help me up."

Zhou Ning took her arm and helped her sit up, only to find that her spiritual power was extremely weak and even her life force was beginning to dissipate.

Su Yunjin was still wearing a white dress with a moon-white ribbon tied around her waist, but her once bright and spirited eyes, which used to sparkle with fire, had dimmed considerably.

Even her spirited high ponytail fell down and draped over her shoulders.

Blood streamed from her eyes, and Zhou Ning wiped it away, only to find that even more blood was flowing down.

"I'm going to die," Su Yunjin suddenly said.

Her vision was blurred with blood, and she couldn't see anything. She instinctively reached for the Storage Bag, grabbing at it several times before finally managing to grab it.

Then, with difficulty, he pulled out a red object, which rolled onto the ground and made a "clinking" sound.

It turned out to be a red Pill Furnace carved with a harpoon pattern.

Zhou Ning was taken aback.

He heard a faint voice. "Zhou Ning, with your intelligence, you must have already guessed why you failed to be selected from the Azure Mystic Sect."

She spoke slowly and softly, "I was born into the Su Household, and grew up in the Su Household... There were many things I couldn't help but do, things I couldn't stop."

"I came back this time intending to talk to you about this, but I never expected it to turn out like this..."

Blood streamed down her face, staining her clothes and reaching her chest. She was still speaking, but her breath was weaker.

"I'll give you the Pill Furnace, and afterwards, the Su Household will give you a share of their alchemy expertise."

"The Su Household... I'm sorry... If you have someone to blame, blame me alone..."

Zhou Ning listened to her words and remained silent for a moment.

He had thought of a hundred ways to refute the Su Household, but now, looking at Su Yunjin, he couldn't utter a single word.

A commotion came from above the formation.

Zhou Ning spotted one of them, waved his array flag, and two figures arrived in an instant.

In front of them was a woman in palace attire, and behind her was Su Yuanye in a python robe.

"Yunjin!" The woman in palace attire landed, her Divine Sense sweeping over Su Yunjin. Her expression changed, and her eyes were filled with anxiety.

Su Yuanye also had his brows furrowed tightly.

Hearing the voice, Su Yunjin's lips twitched slightly, as if she were about to smile, "Auntie, Big Brother, I'm home..."

The woman in palace attire took out a pill and fed it to her, then quickly picked her up and flew away.

Su Yuanye controlled his emotions, his voice devoid of joy or sorrow. "What happened?"

Seven days later.

The Su Household announced that Su Yunjin was dead.

Su Wen arrived at Bamboo Creek Island riding on the jade mirror Law Artifact. She wore a white silk ribbon, as if she were offering a sacrifice.

From a young age, the elders in her clan always told her to emulate Su Yunjin and compare her to her in every way.

Well, that wretched Su Yunjin is dead.

She should be happy, but there was also a sense of melancholy.

"Never mind, respect for the dead is paramount."

She looked at Zhou Ning standing at the door, her tone meaningful. "Alchemist Zhou, Su Yunjin should have returned to the clan long ago, but she was delayed because of refining that Pill Cauldron."

Zhou Ning remained silent. He renamed the Pill Furnace "Falling Blood" Pill Cauldron.

As was customary, he took out the pills for delivery each month.

Su Wen shook the spirit beast pouch again, and two honey pots crawled out, each wearing a white cloth hat on its head...

Zhou Ning's lips twitched.

As for the alchemy inheritance, Su Wen didn't mention it, and Zhou Ning didn't say anything either.

His relationship with Su Yunjin is one kind, but his relationship with the Su Household is another.

Long Mountain Island.

Outside the secret room, Su Yuanye stood quietly, his usual arrogance now much more subdued.

"Father, Yunjin has taken the Black Jade Lotus and will recover in two months."

A deep voice came from inside the stone gate. "Afterwards, have her go into seclusion to attempt the Foundation Establishment. Before the destruction of Han, she must not show herself."

Su Yuanye: "Understood."

He knew in his heart that only by announcing to the outside world that his younger sister was dead could they succeed in their plan.

"The Daoist Mu, the Han Household, Forget-Return Market..."

What a perfect excuse to start a war...

On this day, several young cultivators arrived outside Cuiwei Lake.

Wearing the standard robes of the Azure Mystic Sect and standing on a second-tier spirit eagle, he looked radiant.