Chapter 224 - Reappearance of the Jade Bottle
Lu Prefecture. Yanglai County City. Ximen family.
The Ximen family was a family clan that was famous throughout all of Lu Prefecture. Its patriarch was a Connate Golden Core cultivator from the Daoist sacred land, Primordial Chaos Sect. Naturally, his entire family's standing rose together with his. In Yanglai County, the family wielded absolute power. Every newly appointed county governor would have to first visit the Ximen family.
However, the Ximen family had recently plunged into terror.
"Second Master, Second Master!" A servant called for the second master, Ximen Zhen.
Ximen Zhen was the second son of the Ximen family patriarch, Ximen Feng. As he had reached the Connate False Core realm, he was made the head of the Ximen family.
"What happened now?" Ximen Zhen shouted helplessly as he looked at the panic-stricken servant.
"The three cultivators we invited are all dead," whispered the servant.
"What? Daoist Zhong and company are dead?" Ximen Zhen's expression changed drastically. "Where're their corpses?"
"In the front yard." The servant led the way.
Soon.
In a side hall of Ximen Manor's courtyard, there were three corpses. Many members of the Ximen family were gathered in the hall.
People immediately made way when Ximen Zhen came in.
"Daoist Zhong." Ximen Zhen's expression changed greatly when he saw the three corpses.
"My Ximen family has caused you harm. We caused you harm," Ximen Zhen said with a pained heart. A female cultivator came over and said, "Second Master, these three corpses and the corpses of our Ximen family's clansmen have identical symptoms. Their flesh and blood have been sucked dry, leaving only bone and skin."
Ximen Zhen nodded slightly.
Indeed.
The three corpses in front of him were devoid of flesh and blood. All that remained was bone and skin. Not a single drop of blood would flow, even if he carved the skin with a knife.
"In the past five days, our Ximen family has seen a hundred clansmen die each day. All of them have had their flesh and blood sucked dry." An elder said sullenly. "And now, the three cultivation experts that came to our aid have also met a tragic end. Two of them were at the Connate True Core realm. Our Ximen family does not even have anyone at the Connate True Core realm. How are we to fend off this murderer?"
"Those that fled the family clan have also had their flesh and blood sucked dry. Those that remain in the family clan are still sucked dry despite the family manor's array formations. Escape means death, remaining also means death. What are we to do now?"
The upper-echelon members of the Ximen family were indeed worried.
"Second Master." They looked at Ximen Zhen.
Ximen Zhen was similarly vexed.
The Ximen family had three people at the Connate False Core realm initially. With the array formations left behind by the patriarch, even an entity at the Connate True Core realm could not intimidate the Ximen family! In a world where people at the Connate Golden Core realm seldom took action, those at the Connate True Core realm were typically the greatest experts of a prefecture. The Ximen family was considered very strong so with its strength, it was not afraid of enemies or fiendish demons.
With their patriarch Ximen Feng being a Connate Golden Core realm expert of the Primordial Chaos Sect, the Ximen family had lived unfettered for the past one hundred plus years.
"I have put in a request for Patriarch to come help but I can't contact him." Ximen Zhen shook his head. "There's no response from Patriarch and I have also requested help from the Primordial Chaos Sect. I have sought their help every day. But I have no idea when the Primordial Chaos Sect will send help over."
"Sigh."
"The family is in danger. Why is there no response from Patriarch?"
The clansmen were all panicking.
Some of them even had the thought… that the patriarch had suffered something untoward. However, the patriarch was of eminent standing. He was the pillar of support for the family clan. No one dared to raise the possibility that something had happened to him.
"Now, Daoist Zhong and company are dead too. Perhaps no other Daoists from the Lu Prefecture will dare to come after hearing of this," Ximen Zhen said with a sigh. "Let's wait. Let's wait for people from the Primordial Chaos Sect."
"We can only suffer and wait in silence."
"Let's hope they come sooner rather than later. With a hundred clansmen being killed a day, it won't take half a month for our Ximen family to be wiped out."
The clansmen were all feeling distraught.
Boom!
Suddenly, a powerful might enveloped the area.
"Ximen Zhen." An indifferent voice sounded.
The moment Ximen Zhen heard that, he rushed out of the side hall and looked up. He saw two Daoists on a cloud above the Ximen family. One of the Daoists slung two swords behind his back. He had silver-white hair and he looked rather handsome.
"Senior Yin!" Ximen Zhen was overjoyed.
Primordial Chaos Sect's Yin Lihuo was a Connate Golden Core expert. He was ranked in the top five and had reached the intent domain realm. In addition, he cultivated in the Physical Establishing Sage! He was capable of fighting existences at the Paramount realm in close combat.
Whoosh.
Yin Lihuo flew down with his junior brother in tow.
"Greetings, Senior Yin." Ximen Zhen immediately led his Ximen family clansmen to greet him politely.
"Have you not found my Junior Brother Ximen yet?" asked Yin Lihuo.
"Up to a hundred Ximen family clansmen die daily these past few days. Yet, there has been no news from Patriarch," said Ximen Zhen immediately.
"Nothing?"
Yin Lihuo frowned.
Patriarch Ximen was a Connate Golden Core expert of the Primordial Chaos Sect after all. His sudden disappearance, and the inability to communicate with him despite his transmission mark not dissipating, was highly unusual! In addition, up to a hundred members of the Ximen family were being killed daily. In light of such a strange situation, the Primordial Chaos Sect immediately sent Yin Lihuo to investigate the matter.
"Just today, I invited three fellow Daoists from the Lu Prefecture to help us. Two of them were at the Connate True Core realm but they were similarly sucked dry of their flesh and blood, and now lay dead," said Ximen Zhen anxiously.
"Oh? Bring me there," instructed Yin Lihuo.
"Senior Yin, please follow me." Ximen Zhen led the way.
Soon, they came into a hall.
Yin Lihuo led his junior brother to where the three corpses were lying on the floor. They were only skin and bones, with not a drop of blood left in their bodies.
"Senior Brother, this matter seems odd." The gray-robed Daoist whispered. "All that's left is skin and bones and not one bit of flesh or blood. It resembles the magi lineage, but sinister Dharma spells are also equally capable of these feats."
"Yea." Yin Lihuo looked calmly.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a clansman cried out in pain.
Yin Lihuo and the gray-robed Daoist turned their heads instantly. A clansman was writhing in pain on the ground. His body rapidly withered and in seconds, all his flesh and blood was gone, leaving only skin and bones behind.
"What?" Yin Lihuo was alarmed. His intent domain covered eight hundred feet of his surroundings. The clansman was well within his intent domain.
"That's what happens. That's how it happens." Ximen Zhen and company were panic-stricken. Ximen Zhen added immediately, "Our Ximen family clansmen die like that. I have seen with my own eyes several who have had their flesh and blood sucked clean out of thin air. All that's left is skin and bones."
"I just arrived and the murderer kills a Ximen family clansman right under my nose? Was it a deliberate show of force?" Yin Lihuo's pupils constricted.
"Ximen Zhen," said Yin Lihuo.
"Senior Yin," answered Ximen Zhen respectfully.
"From this moment forth, your Ximen family's array formation shall be under my control." Yin Lihuo instructed. "I want to see who this person lurking in the dark is. How dare he provoke my Primordial Chaos Sect."
"Yes." Ximen Zhen nodded immediately.
He couldn't wish for anything better than to have such an existence help preside over his family clan.
At that moment, in an inn about five kilometers away from the Ximen family.
A middle-aged man stood in front of the window and looked in the direction of the Ximen family manor.
"Yin Lihuo is here," said the middle-aged man softly. "At my present strength, even if I use my fiendcelestial lineage methods, I can barely equal him, right?"
"Don't worry. Don't you have me?" A jade bottle said with a voice transmission from the table. "With me aiding you, Yin Lihuo is not your match. As long as you heavily injure Yin Lihuo, the Primordial Chaos Sect will become more careful. The Primordial Chaos Sect currently only has one entity at the Paramount realm. They would not let such an existence take any risks unless they were absolutely confident."
"Alright." The middle-aged man nodded.
Shu Prefecture's Sword Tower.
The upper echelons of Sword Tower welcomed Qin Yun warmly.
"I'll hand this nephew of mine over to you, Brother Cui. Let him suffer at Hundred Swords Peak," joked Qin Yun.
"Dear Shuyan's talent and perception are pretty good." praised Cui Lianfeng. The other Connate Golden Core sword immortals were very friendly as well. Now, among all the sects in the world, Sword Tower was the closest to the Qin family. Sword Tower always had the hope of making Qin Yun one of theirs! After all, they were all sword immortals and Qin Yun was an itinerant cultivator.
"Shuyan."
Qin Yun looked at Qin Shuyan. "Your marriage will be in three years. I hope that you are already out of Hundred Swords Peak by the time those three years are up."
"Don't worry, Uncle. I'll escape it in a year. Give me a year." Qin Shuyan was very confident.
"Haha, nice ambition." Qin Yun smiled and did not say another word.
"Alright, everyone. I have matters to tend to and shall take my leave. I'll trouble all of you with this nephew of mine."
"Not at all."
"Our Sword Tower sends disciples to Brother Qin every year and you have guided them seriously. It is us who should be ashamed. Brother Qin, you should send more disciples over to our Sword Tower."
All of them were very warm.
Sword Tower was the number one sword cultivation sect in the world.
It was extremely difficult to enter Sword Tower as a disciple! Even many rich families could exhaust all their wealth and still fail to have their children enter. As for Qin Shuyan, his visit was for cultivation. He did not need to take anyone as a master; yet, he made all the Golden Core sword immortals treat him genially.
In fact, Qin Yun was somewhat envious of this. Back when he roamed the world, he wished that he had a sword immortal master to guide him.
"Phew."
Soon.
Qin Yun left Sword Tower and transformed into a beam of light that headed northeast.
"Lu Prefecture."
Qin Yun held the Inspect Heavenly Token and saw the latest blurb. "Primordial Chaos Sect's Connate Golden Core cultivator, Ximen Feng's family clan has had a hundred clansmen die daily for six consecutive days. The cultivators that provided their aid have died too. All of them died by having their flesh and blood sucked dry. Primordial Chaos Sect's Yin Lihuo went and ended up seriously injured. It is confirmed that the murderer in question is a mysterious great fiendish demon, one that has never been seen before."
"A great fiendish demon that even Yin Lihuo is no match for? I'll take a look!" Qin Yun cast his Beam Transformation Art and headed straight for Lu Prefecture.
His flying sword had not slain a great fiendish demon in a long time.