Chapter 318

The Second Elder, of course, knew that the "First Elder" on the hillside was an impostor.

How could the First Elder, who couldn't even leave his underground bedroom, suddenly run to the hillside outside the ancestral home to admire the scenery?

Not to mention, he had just heard the First Elder's voice.

That "First Elder" must have been Yi'er in disguise.

But at this moment, explanation and exposure were meaningless in terms of time. The three groups of people were already charging towards that spot, and the order he had received was to ensure Yi'er's survival.

Zhao Yi had no array defense in front of him, and he himself was literally "all show and no substance," for his inner being was truly incomplete, so much so that if he were tidied up and sold to a hotpot restaurant, he'd be cursed for being underweight.

However, he wasn't flustered; he knew someone would come to save him.

The Second Elder arrived.

When he moved, he displayed the same terrifying speed as when he had previously charged the main gate.

Although the three groups were ahead, no one dared to ignore such a powerful presence.

Then, a strange scene unfolded.

From each of the three groups, one person split off to intercept, while another continued towards the hillside.

Moreover, the person from each group who stayed behind defended individually, not combining their efforts to block.

This was the drawback of a loose alliance: except in favorable situations, the internal friction coefficient was often terrifyingly high.

Especially at such a "have your cake and eat it too" moment, absurd actions were bound to occur.

"Buzz!"

The large woman grabbed the legs of the small man on her shoulder, spun around, and hurled him towards the hillside.

Then, she drew an iron staff, turned, her aura settling, her legs seeming to root into the earth. As the staff moved, it stirred up a powerful aura that compacted the surrounding soil.

She followed the path of body cultivation, and her large physique contained immense power.

When the Second Elder arrived, the large woman swung her iron staff and smashed it towards him.

The Second Elder leaped, first stepping on the iron staff with one foot to deflect the force.

Their strengths collided at that moment. The large woman felt a tightness in her chest, unable to take another breath.

The Second Elder then stepped on the iron staff with his second foot, borrowing its momentum.

"Bang!"

The Second Elder's body accelerated further, soaring even higher.

The large woman's iron staff, no longer under her control, swung back and heavily struck her chest.

"Crack."

Her chest caved in, and the large woman's body leaned backward. She forcibly straightened herself by digging her legs into the ground, barely preventing a complete fall.

But by then, the Second Elder had already moved past her.

The large woman's eyes widened in horror. She knew clearly that if the opponent hadn't been in a hurry to leave and had truly fought her, she would have certainly died just then.

It wasn't that the Second Elder didn't want to kill her, but he didn't have the time.

Zhao Yi still stood on the hillside, striking a pose, his white beard fluttering in the wind.

Some people threaten suicide to attract attention, not truly wishing to die. Others, once they adopt such a posture, exude an incredibly convincing desire for death. Zhao Yi belonged to the latter.

Nothing more... pure practiced skill.

Luo An clashed his fists, the skin tearing at his wrists. He had long replaced his bones with iron chains. Now, beneath his palms, two iron chains circled, gathering around his arms, and he unleashed a double-fisted strike at the Second Elder, who had just leaped down in front of him.

The Second Elder pointed his lantern forward.

Instantly, a series of clanging sounds erupted, accompanied by sparks.

Luo An's arms were torn and bloody, and a sword qi even pierced his chest, forcing him to kneel on one knee and seal off his heart meridian.

The Second Elder sidestepped past him.

Master Huaiyin put her palms together, recited Buddhist chants, and the impromptu array was about to be activated.

She was already incredibly fast.

Li Chuiyuan had noticed earlier that the master followed the path of an orthodox array master, like an excellent student in school who was naturally gifted, studied diligently, and used correct methods.

In her specialized field, she had reached the pinnacle; some geniuses couldn't even compare to her, as even geniuses might have other shortcomings.

The Second Elder lifted his lantern, directly breaching a gap in the array with a sword qi, and then forcefully charged through with his body.

"Boom!"

Master Huaiyin's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth simultaneously bled, and her body trembled.

The Second Elder burst through the array.

However, the Second Elder, who had crossed three interceptors in three moves, did not do so without cost. His clothes were torn, his hair was disheveled, and the once somewhat refined old man now looked a bit unkempt.

Master Huaiyin quickly warned the monk Huiwu, who was ascending the slope behind her:

"His vital energy is abnormal; it's always full!"

The Master stood on the third interception line. According to her calculations, after passing through two interceptors, the Second Elder should have had to catch his breath. But not only did he not, the sword strike he unleashed and the subsequent body charge were both executed with abundant vital energy.

A normal person simply couldn't do this, unless he had deliberately conserved his strength.

But he had no need to do so now; if he could, he would surely want to kill each person in one strike. The two ahead of him would certainly be corpses by now.

He was strong, but not strong to an extent beyond their comprehension and acceptance. What was most bizarre about him was his seemingly constant state of full vitality.

Three lines of interception had been passed, but the charge continued.

Bu Chen's team had only left Luo An to intercept earlier, with two people charging forward.

Now, the last person in the charging party was Zheng Ming.

Zheng Ming didn't even have time to turn around before the Second Elder arrived behind him.

One foot landed on Zheng Ming's hunchback.

If both sides had formally and orderly engaged in a battle, and Master Huaiyin, Luo An, and the large woman had effectively combined their efforts, the Second Elder would certainly not have been able to pass through three people so easily in one go.

Similarly, the Second Elder would have wondered beforehand why Zheng Ming, who wasn't very fast and whose aura wasn't very strong, was classified as part of the charging group.

But this was an encounter battle; everyone was too rushed to think, so mistakes were naturally made.

Just like the Second Elder's kick.

Zheng Ming was brutally stomped to the ground, his insides churning, most of his flesh tumors collapsing instantly. But when the Second Elder lifted his foot, the sole of his shoe had rotted, and countless small mushroom-like particles had attached themselves to it.

Earlier, when Li Chuiyuan was blocking the path, after killing the array master Qiu Chuyin, he didn't continue attacking the remaining three because these three were each more repulsive than the last.

If it were the final critical moment, and he absolutely had to fight them to the death, he would have to endure and fight. But if it was just in the middle... he truly wasn't willing to fight these people to the death.

When the Second Elder landed a second time, he felt discomfort in his foot, and for a moment, his eyes showed surprise.

He, who most disliked and could least afford to be injured, had been struck in this manner.

Crucially, he now had no time to stop and deal with it. With a hardened heart, he swung his lantern downwards, and sword qi, like fire, scorched his foot.

The mushroom-like growths fell off, and that foot was also shriveled and wrinkled from the scorching.

Next was Monk Huiwu.

The monk was third in the charging team.

Sensing an attack from behind, the monk turned, his Dharma appearance solemn, his Vajra eyes furious. He held Buddhist beads in his left hand, casting out a brilliant light, and launched a palm strike with his right.

The Second Elder swept his lantern horizontally.

The Buddhist beads shattered, scattering across the ground. The palm strike was cut through, its force dissipated, but there was still residual power that struck the Second Elder.

The Second Elder grunted, accelerating again.

Monk Huiwu lowered his head, looking at his chest, where a horizontal bloodline cut deep, visible to the bone.

The small man had borrowed momentum from the start, so he was the first to charge. He directly shouted back at Bu Chen:

"Help me stop him!"

Bu Chen stopped first, intending to intercept.

Therefore, when the Second Elder rapidly approached, he was met with a fully charged axe.

And the small man was already almost in front of the "First Elder."

The Second Elder could only extend two fingers from his left hand to clamp the axe blade, while swinging his lantern forward with his right hand, unleashing sword qi.

Bu Chen exerted forceful power, and the two skull heads on the axe emitted piercing screams.

The Second Elder felt a roar in his consciousness.

Bu Chen's heart eased. It worked!

His most prized combat technique, which had been completely ineffective against Run Sheng earlier, had made him doubt himself a little.

The Second Elder exerted force with his fingertips, forcibly twisting and then pressing down.

Bu Chen's axe blade was aimed at himself, swinging towards his own face.

On the other side, the small man, as if having eyes in his back, knew a lantern was stabbing towards him.

His body shuddered. He had been running there, but a smaller, adult-like dwarf sprang out from inside his clothes.

He was even smaller than expected, and very hairy.

The lantern shredded his clothes, but the small man was now holding a pointed dagger, leaping towards the "First Elder."

Zhao Yi watched him calmly, neither dodging nor evading.

The Second Elder let out a low roar from his throat, a sound of deterrence that struck Bu Chen, attempting to force him back.

Then he released his fingertips, no longer entangled with Bu Chen, moved forward, stood still, drew his fingers, and made a hand seal.

The lantern that had just shredded the small man's clothes was drawn again, continuing to fly towards the small man.

It was so close! The cold glint released from the small man's dagger was almost piercing the "First Elder's" skin; he could even see the First Elder's white beard breaking strand by strand.

But his waist was caught by the lantern.

A tremendous force came, pulling him ruthlessly backward.

The small man was furious, almost going mad. So close!

Although the "First Elder's" reaction was very strange, whether real or fake, whether a trick or not, he had been just that close to severing that head.

The Second Elder's tense spirit finally relaxed at this moment.

However, Bu Chen, who he had expected to be momentarily suppressed by his mental pressure, let out a roar from within his body the instant he was suppressed, forcefully breaking through the suppression.

Bu Chen awoke.

He was, after all, someone who had competed and fought on the river for so long. The first thing he did upon regaining consciousness was to pass his palm over the axe blade, drawing blood to sharpen it. Then he turned, his body erupting, and swung the axe at the Second Elder's back.

"Pfft!"

The Second Elder's back was cleaved open with a large gash.

The old man roared in anger, turned, and punched backward.

"Bang!"

Bu Chen was sent flying backward.

And the small man, entangled by the lantern, twisted his body and escaped before the lantern ignited with blue flames. However, his body was still scorched by the heat, and when he landed, his upper and lower halves were of two different colors, with the hair on his lower body melted away.

Zhao Yi stood above, observing the whole situation clearly.

The three groups, though teams, fought with the absurd coordination of "solo river walkers"; the Second Elder went through everyone but didn't have time to deliver fatal blows, an even more absurd action. The axe strike he took to the back at the end was a fitting conclusion.

The Second Elder looked at Zhao Yi, wanting to go forward and grab him.

A blue light flowed from Zhao Yi's heart, condensed from the mountain mist.

Its power wasn't great, but it depended on where it was used.

Zhao Yi truly had no combat ability at this point; he could only stand there like a scarecrow.

But threatening suicide was still an option.

Having learned from the previous lesson in the underground room, Zhao Yi had openly displayed his suicide threat early this time.

"If you advance further, I'll kill myself right in front of you."

It was a blatant threat.

Seeing this, the Second Elder's eyes turned red with anger.

At this moment, he truly felt as if he was looking at a disappointing younger generation from his own family, but at the same time, a fondness and recognition for this junior arose in his heart.

This child was indeed the Zhao family's first genius since their ancestor, possessing top-tier talent and temperament.

The Second Elder could not lie down in that place. Although he received compensation in other ways, he genuinely lacked that part of the obsession.

To some extent, he was effectively sacrificed by all the elders as a group.

But Zhao Yi had no intention of influencing or winning over the other party; that was impossible.

If the Second Elder could truly be persuaded and drawn into their camp, then what had he been waiting for, busy inside and outside the ancestral home all these years?

Most likely, in the Second Elder's eyes, preserving the family's heritage was truly what was best for the Zhao family.

Second Elder: "Yi'er, your surname is Zhao!"

Zhao Yi smiled.

If his surname weren't Zhao, he should be standing among those three groups right now.

Zhao Yi shifted his gaze forward, looking behind the Second Elder, as a warning.

The Second Elder actually knew. He turned around, and there, the three groups had regrouped.

They hadn't had time to coordinate before, but now, having witnessed the Second Elder's strength, their tacit understanding naturally improved.

Master Huaiyin stood in the middle, with Zheng Ming crouching beside her.

Zheng Ming still couldn't straighten his back, but his crouching posture was peculiar because his limbs were suspended.

The Second Elder's previous kick had shattered many of the tumors inside him, and the liquid nutrients had been absorbed by other tumors, causing several particularly large ones to appear on his chest, propping him up.

Monk Huiwu, Bu Chen, and the large woman stood on the front line; the small man and Luo An were on the left and right flanks, respectively.

It was a basic team battle formation.

This meant that, although they couldn't work together perfectly, they could at least reasonably unleash their combined strength.

But on the opposite side, without the need to rush to save someone, the subsequent killing moves could be released with ample energy.

The Second Elder picked up his lantern, and in a stretching motion, swept it behind his back. His back was subjected to intense heat, and the axe wound was "stitched up" in this manner.

This action naturally couldn't escape the notice of Zhao Yi, who stood behind.

Zhao Yi finally understood the Second Elder's peculiar characteristic.

He possessed an abundant, almost inexhaustible, amount of power—a quality almost all powerful elders in the stage of vital energy decline yearned for.

Old Madam Liu, during her last attack, had to use the Liu family's secret technique to revert to youth, cleverly avoiding this problem.

But such an inexplicable "special ability" must have been secretly priced. The price the Second Elder paid was that his state could remain at its peak, but his body completely lost all vitality.

In other words, any injuries he sustained could not recover naturally and could only be treated crudely and hastily.

It was just as the First Elder had told him earlier: when one gets old, many small scars and marks are carried into the coffin.

Zhao Yi spoke, advising:

"First kill the array master. This is their first time uniting, so there will be many flaws. Ignore the cost, and break their core in one go. Otherwise, if the battle drags on, you won't have a chance."

One-on-one combat and team battles are not the same concept. And the longer a team battle drags on, the higher their tacit understanding becomes.

It might even be accompanied by casualties, leading to a stronger bond of trust and support among the opponents.

Because these guys have very high baseline capabilities, if you truly push them to the brink of death, they are capable of sacrificing their lives to create an opening, allowing outsiders to help them achieve revenge.

The Second Elder was very strong, but his weaknesses were also obvious. Most importantly, he lacked experience in this regard.

"You..."

The Second Elder felt strange. This kid was actually acting as his strategist.

Although he understood that Zhao Yi was doing this to make him fight the opponents more effectively, aiming for a mutual defeat or even mutual destruction.

Yet, he still felt rather pleased.

If only the situation weren't like this. In any other scenario, facing an external enemy, carrying the most promising child of the family on his back, purely protecting him, and fighting off enemies—how satisfying that would be.

At this moment, the Second Elder's resolve was indeed shaken, but only slightly. Then, it immediately became firm again.

The Second Elder shouted:

"He is not the First Elder of my Zhao family! He is an impostor!"

Zhao Yi rolled his eyes.

*Inner thought*: A family of fools.

To shout such words at a time like this was truly naive.

Did those guys not guess that he might be an impostor?

Regardless of whether it was true or false, once he put on the "skin" of the First Elder, they would surely try to kill him.

Moreover, even if he were an impostor, wouldn't it be the same to first team up and eliminate the Zhao family elder under the pretext of him being the "First Elder"?

Indeed, the Second Elder's response was a full-scale attack from the opposing side.

The Second Elder also roared and charged forth, with a decisiveness surpassing his previous display, breaking through the first line of interception in one fell swoop, his lantern pointing directly at Master Huaiyin.

The old man might be clumsy, but he was truly obedient.

Perhaps that was why he was chosen to manage the ancestral home's affairs and was unable to enter that place.

Just as Zhao Yi had predicted, the three groups' first formal collaboration still had flaws; the layers of desperate interception were not perfectly executed.

The Second Elder broke through to the center, and a single lantern pierced Master Huaiyin's chest. Flames erupted, engulfing Master Huaiyin entirely.

He pulled out the lantern, then swept it in a single motion, intending to give Zheng Ming a taste of the same, burning and drying up this inexplicably repulsive thing. But the tumors on Zheng Ming's belly exploded a step earlier, creating a small rain of pus before the flames could cover him.

Even though the Second Elder tried to block, he still couldn't avoid being drenched in many places.

Some parts grew mold, some turned black, and in other places, the skin remained intact, but the underlying flesh began to be eaten away.

And Zhao Yi's suggestion successfully opened a Pandora's Box of chaos.

Not only did Monk Huiwu trigger golden liquid from within to cover his body, activating the Vajra Arhat form, but everyone else also brought out their trump cards.

The first life taken, and that of an array master no less, combined with the presence of a powerful enemy, finally ignited everyone's ferocity and ruthlessness.

Next, the Second Elder would not face the suppression of a coordinated formation but rather a pack of rabid dogs.

This way, the casualties would be maximized, which was exactly what Zhao Yi wanted to see.

But he did not dwell on this intensely stimulating scene. Instead, he slowly scanned his surroundings.

The true "solo river walker" had yet to appear.

That individual, capable of engaging the Second Elder alone and successfully escaping, possessed formidable strength.

Zhao Yi believed that the person had certainly not fled far. Such a large commotion here must have attracted their attention.

Still not making a move?

Oh, right, there really was no need to act at this moment.

"You continue to hide, continue to play the role of the mantis stalker."

Zhao Yi's gaze finally settled on the ancestral home.

Before entering that underground room, he actually knew nothing about the secrets deep within his ancestral home.

But sometimes, a plan doesn't need to be so detailed. Once all blind spots are eliminated, anyone with a normal mind could be a strategist.

The most interesting part of this thing, isn't it just "doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate"?

"I'll do my part, and leave the rest to Li Chuiyuan... your fate!"

Suddenly, Zhao Yi himself scratched an itch.

He wanted to laugh, but he had to maintain his image as the "First Elder."

He didn't laugh, but the already damaged muscles underneath his "skin," which were prone to excitement, began to twitch erratically, making his whole body convulse, and he almost lost his footing and tumbled down the hillside.

There was no way around it; this feeling of blindly messing around in a confused way, then letting someone else clean up and wait for the results, was simply too exhilarating.

"You, surnamed Li, I finally understand now... why the Heavenly Dao likes to use you as a blade."

"I don't understand..."

Lin Shuyou held his twin maces, looking at the Third and Fourth Elders who had appeared before them.

The same ethereal figures, the same powerful auras, the same sense of oppression.

But then he looked at the Fifth Elder, who stood before them, now a controlled puppet.

Lin Shuyou truly couldn't fathom how the other side dared to keep sending out people of the same type.

The truth was, the one who understood it least was the First Elder, still in the underground room.

He had just paid a huge price to first locate Zhao Yi's exact position and then transmit a message to the Second Elder outside the ancestral home.

Then he turned around and found that the Fifth Elder had gone missing?

If there had been a great battle and the Fifth Elder had fallen due to some unexpected carelessness, that would be one thing. But in such a short time, it was as if the Fifth Elder had joined the enemy.

The First Elder had considered puppetry; that was his first reaction. But the Fifth Elder had already awakened. Who could refine him into a puppet?

In other words, how powerful must the person be who could single-handedly orchestrate this outcome?

Under these circumstances, the awakening of the Third and Fourth Elders was inevitable.

Firstly, the First Elder could not leave this room. Secondly, outsiders had entered the house, and it was impossible to ignore them, especially since these outsiders seemed malevolent.

In the past, both the First Elder inside the ancestral home and the Second Elder outside could summon the Spirit Guard to help.

If there were a considerable number of capable helpers, many situations could be handled much more calmly, instead of having to brave battles alone every time.

But the problem was that all the Spirit Guards protecting the ancestral home were awakened by Zhao Yi and sent to their demise in one wave.

Zhao Yi even set a deadline for them, fearing they wouldn't die "cleanly" enough.

This left the entire ancestral home in an awkward situation, relying entirely on the elders to do the work.

Li Chuiyuan continued to perform the Black Skin Book secret technique.

What was different about these two elders from the previous one was that, after awakening, they paid a certain price to force out the silver needles inserted into their bodies.

But those silver needles were merely "decorations"; what was truly effective was the method of using the silver needles to inject vital energy and complete the circulation layout within the body.

Zhao Yi possessed an extremely high understanding of the Black Skin Book secret technique. Although he couldn't truly learn it, he constantly touched upon its core principles.

The young man's gaze sharpened, and the Fourth Elder stopped his movement.

Seeing this, the Third Elder further accelerated his speed and pounced forward.

Li Chuiyuan took a deep breath. The Fifth Elder, who had been controlled first, moved, actively meeting the charge.

"Boom!"

After their clash, the Fifth Elder flew backward, but the Third Elder's advance was also halted.

And then,

The Third Elder remained halted.

His eyes had turned white, and the young man had completed his control.

Controlling three Zhao family elders simultaneously caused the young man's nose to warm, and blood flowed out.

Tan Wenbin immediately helped Little Yuan stop the bleeding, while Lin Shuyou chuckled and opened a can of Jianlibao.

But Li Chuiyuan's nosebleed wouldn't stop.

These three could be considered half of Jiujiang Zhao's visible top combat strength. The young man controlled all three simultaneously, and even if he did nothing else, the continuous consumption was enormous.

Run Sheng: "Chop them up."

That was indeed a good idea.

"I can hold on a bit longer," Li Chuiyuan refused Run Sheng's suggestion. "They were all awakened from slumber, which means there's someone else in this house who can give orders."

Zhao Yi had "sacrificed" his "ancestors," and Li Chuiyuan had received them. If he simply chopped them up, it would be too ungrateful for Young Master Zhao's good intentions.

Not yet emerged, and capable of giving orders, it must be the highest-ranking person in this ancestral home. His location should be...

Li Chuiyuan took a step forward, realizing his sense of space was somewhat distorted. After his first step, he seemed to stumble a bit, and his vision also blurred slightly.

"Run Sheng, carry me."

"Okay."

Run Sheng bent down and carried the young man on his back.

"Ah You, go to the patriarch's courtyard."

With that, the young man closed his eyes.

The one-to-one replication effect of the Zhao family's mountain ancestral home and outer residence was now revealed.

What should have been a mysterious area to explore was now seemingly highlighted completely.

Run Sheng walked with the young man on his back, Tan Wenbin behind, and Lin Shuyou in front.

Around them were three Zhao family elders, moving together.

To minimize his mental exertion, Li Chuiyuan had simplified their movements, expressions, and postures, making them simply jump stiffly to keep pace like zombies.

In the underground room.

The First Elder sat despondently in the Grand Master's chair.

Jiujiang Zhao's status in the martial world was quite high, and as the de facto highest authority of the Zhao family, the First Elder was also very knowledgeable.

But the secret technique personally created by Wei Zhengdao back then still gave him a strong shock.

Beyond human imagination, incredible—that's what made it a "secret" in "secret technique."

"Now, they are coming towards my location."

The First Elder seemed to be talking to himself.

"I don't understand what's going on with the Third Elder and the others. I can only surmise that Yi'er's previous arrangements gave these newcomers an early advantage."

"I am now at my wit's end; I cannot leave this room."

"The Second Elder is outside, very busy, and he cannot come in either."

As the First Elder spoke, his gaze swept across the surrounding amber boundaries.

Those coffins still floated there silently.

Those lying here were Zhao Yi's ancestors, and also the First Elder's elders.

But at this moment, not one of them responded to his pleas.

Just as the First Elder had called out for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders to awaken and deal with those people, and not one responded, everyone at this moment seemed indifferent.

After all, they were already inside; they weren't people outside desperately trying to get in.

They believed that no matter how chaotic it got outside, this area would be preserved.

They didn't even need Zhao Yi to live.

If Zhao Yi died, even if his share of luck perished with him, it would only mean that this place could never recover its previous scale, which wouldn't affect their current stay.

The First Elder gently caressed the armrest of the Grand Master's chair.

The restrictions and arrays within the ancestral home were countless times more numerous than those in the outer residence. At this moment, he was mobilizing them to attack the young man's group.

However, a startling scene appeared before him.

The young man and his companions continued to advance at a steady pace, and the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders continued to hop like zombies beside them.

Whenever a surrounding restriction was triggered or an array was about to be activated, the young man, lying on Run Sheng's back, merely waved his hand, and these situations, which should have been "fraught with danger," were eliminated beforehand.

Li Chuiyuan frowned slightly. His nosebleed had now stained Run Sheng's back.

Run Sheng wanted to speed up, but the young man tugged at his clothes, signaling him to maintain a steady pace.

Any faster, and the young man wouldn't be able to ensure the restrictions were nullified.

The First Elder in the Grand Master's chair opened his mouth.

At this moment, he couldn't help but ask himself the same question the Second Elder had earlier:

"Whose house is this, anyway?"

He had to use the Grand Master's chair, which served as an array core, to control the arrays within the house, yet the opponent could still navigate "as if on flat ground."

The First Elder let out a hoarse laugh from his throat:

"Heh heh, the opponent is extremely proficient in arrays and is now coming here. Do you think, once he arrives and sees the situation, he will do nothing?

He is capable of doing something."

The coffins within the amber all showed signs of disturbance.

Clearly, they were starting to worry.

First Elder: "It will be too late if the Second Elder deals with things there and then returns. Everyone, don't be so naive anymore. If the Zhao family completely falls, who will protect you who are sleeping here?

You are all past elites of my Zhao family, well-traveled and knowledgeable. You should know what kind of situation the ancestral land of a fallen power will face.

Today is also the Outer Residence's joyous day, so guests will surely fill the place.

But after today, the current guests will soon change their demeanor and come to devour my Zhao family clean.

As for this ancestral home, even if it's a ragtag group, given enough time, they can slowly wear down the courtyard walls.

Once this place falls, it will become a longed-for area for countless batches of fortune-seekers in the future.

So, pay a small price.

I'm not asking you to come out and completely sacrifice yourselves, just a small price to help me gather some vitality, to lend me a hand so that I can personally handle all matters outside.

That way, you can rest assured lying here."

The First Elder felt exhausted; such simple truths had to be broken down and explained by him.

But this was precisely the core problem the Zhao family now faced.

When a family, bound by their ancestors as a spiritual link, sees its successive elites betray and even insult those ancestors, how can any sense of family heritage or mission possibly exist?

This meant that no one was willing to sacrifice for it, and there was no longer a reason to do so.

A seemingly vast entity, if it's filled with selfish individuals, can perhaps maintain a facade of strength in normal times, but when true challenges arise, even a single strong finger poke could cause it to shatter in a most absurd manner.

In truth, the situation outside could have been easily resolved. If the slumbering elders had been willing to pay the price, and all three had awakened at the beginning, the internal and external turmoil would have been settled long ago.

Alternatively, if two of the slumbering "foundations" had emerged, quickly suppressed the situation, and then quietly faded away, the Zhao family's calamity could have been swiftly cleared in the short term.

But until the crisis was literally at their doorstep, they simply couldn't be roused. Once they were truly panicked, it just turned into self-sacrifice.

The First Elder also began to introspect at this point. He wasn't repentant; he was starting to be afraid.

Fortunately, he finally succeeded in transmitting this fear into the coffins within the amber.

Hands, one by one, reached out from the amber walls.

The moment they emerged, the once pale and tender hands rapidly blackened and began to decay, but before each hand melted, a thin stream would be released, gathering into the First Elder's body, integrating.

The First Elder had said he asked them to lend him a hand, but they were still stingy, only willing to offer one hand.

But having something was better than nothing.

Hands, one by one, streams, one by one, allowed the First Elder's already skeletal body to gradually regain some fullness.

The First Elder managed to stand up again, facing upwards.

"More, it's still not enough for me to go out. Just one hand has been given by some, but others haven't given yet. Do those who have given allow those who haven't to take advantage of them?"

The First Elder felt like he wasn't talking to his ancestors, but to a group of toddlers.

He even had to deliberately sow discord.

But the instigation really did work.

Internally, there must have been a dispute, forcing even those unwilling to sacrifice a single hand to grudgingly contribute.

And this batch of hands reaching out was even more numerous than the last.

As more and more thin streams converged, the First Elder felt like a beggar, but at least he truly got something he asked for.

Not only did he return to his appearance when he met Zhao Yi earlier, but many of his age spots also faded, and his physique clearly accumulated some vitality.

One couldn't say he was "hale and hearty," but he certainly wouldn't give anyone cause to worry that he might die of old age between morning and night.

"More! Either I don't go out, or if I do, I must be completely secure. I need to deal with the people in the house, I need to reset the arrays, then I need to go out and help the Second Elder, and finally, I need to rebuild the Zhao family system in the outer residence... I have so much to do!"

A few more unfamiliar hands extended, not many in number.

Each person's hand had palm lines, some even wore ornaments, and the style of their burial clothes had subtle distinctions.

This meant that this third batch of extended hands did not come from people who had already offered a second hand. Instead, they belonged to those who had been unwilling to make any sacrifice at all, but facing increasing pressure, finally offered their "due share."

The First Elder felt a bit desolate.

He had been suffering here for a long time and could actually communicate with the "ancestors" lying inside.

The world within was not as monotonous as it appeared from the outside. The amber merely froze the coffins; in fact, the environment inside was more suitable for walking the spiritual path.

Although they lay inside, they felt no physical pain whatsoever, and their spirits were completely free. They could create their own dreams, invite others into their dreams, and communicate with each other.

The First Elder used to envy this atmosphere and often entered the spiritual path to enjoy it with his ancestors.

Now,

This elegance.

His strength was still somewhat strained, but the First Elder knew that it would be difficult to ask for more at this stage; he needed to see the results.

He would first deal with the people in the house, then ask them for more.

The First Elder propped himself up with both arms, feeling the long-lost strength in his fingers. He slowly spread his hands and looked up.

He was about to emerge.

At the same moment, Li Chuiyuan was also walking towards this place.

They entered the patriarch's courtyard, walked into the main hall, and saw a row of lanterns placed there.

Li Chuiyuan: "Ah You, take a lantern."

"Understood."

Lin Shuyou picked up a lantern.

Li Chuiyuan: "Swing it, and it will light up."

Lin Shuyou swung it hard, the lantern rod snapped, and the lantern part rolled away like a ball.

Tan Wenbin, who was walking behind, quickly ran to the front, picked up a lantern, swung it, and it lit up. After handing the lantern to Lin Shuyou, Tan Wenbin immediately returned to his position at the back.

Lin Shuyou carefully held the lantern, continuing to lead the way.

Li Chuiyuan: "Binbin, mark this spot. If conditions allow when we leave, you can take all the remaining lanterns."

Tan Wenbin: "Understood."

Li Chuiyuan added: "These appear to be lanterns, but their essence is swords. You can dismantle them into excellent materials when you get back."

In the team, there was no one who used a sword.

The reason Lin Shuyou broke the lantern just now was also because he always followed a robust path and couldn't handle delicate things.

The seemingly ordinary bedroom felt as if they could never reach the bed.

Lin Shuyou: "Little Yuan, the light from this lantern is getting dimmer and dimmer."

Li Chuiyuan: "When it completely goes out, it means we've reached our destination."

The lantern finally went out completely.

Lin Shuyou reached out to feel around, but couldn't touch anything. He jumped a few times in place, reaching upwards, but still couldn't reach.

Li Chuiyuan: "Ah You, it's on the ground."

"Understood!"

Lin Shuyou immediately crouched down, fumbling on the ground with both hands, and finally grabbed a pull ring, which he opened.

The moment it opened, a terrifying aura precisely surged upwards.

Below, the First Elder looked up, his gaze cold, staring at the people above.

Run Sheng instinctively straightened up, intending to put Little Yuan down to fight.

Li Chuiyuan did not adjust his center of gravity as usual, so Run Sheng bent back down.

Lin Shuyou grasped his twin maces, about to activate his vertical pupils, when Li Chuiyuan's voice came:

"Move aside."

Lin Shuyou immediately retreated.

"Insolent scoundrels, do you think my Zhao family has no one?!"

The First Elder ascended, like an arrow released from a bow, his entire body shooting upwards from below, his momentum like a rainbow.

Li Chuiyuan, on Run Sheng's back, made a hand seal, and said in a deep voice:

"Three Corpse Ghost Sealing Seal."

The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders, who had been controlled and turned into puppets by the young man, stood hand in hand around the entrance, then all collectively toppled headfirst.

Their flesh began to merge, their souls began to fuse, and like wax figures, they started to melt, desperately clinging to and blocking the opening.

"Boom!"

The First Elder charged up from below, colliding.

The three bodies above trembled but were not broken through.

"Third Elder... you!"

Anger surged in the First Elder's heart, mixed with a hint of sorrow for a fellow victim, but this did not slow his speed for a second impact.

"Boom!"

With the second impact, the three bodies above almost separated, barely holding on.

Li Chuiyuan's fingers began to cramp, but the young man forcefully continued to form the seal.

If the next impact were any stronger, his "Three Corpse Ghost Sealing Seal" would be broken.

Normally, the third strike, leveraging the momentum of the previous two, should be the strongest.

So Li Chuiyuan ordered in advance: "Ah You, get ready."

The young man's body also slowly leaned back. When the seal was broken and Run Sheng made his move, he would slide down.

"Boom!"

However, the third impact was not stronger than the previous one; it was even weaker.

The bodies of the three elders did not break apart.

The young man immediately accelerated the drawing speed, making the three bodies condense into one, appearing as if encased in jade.

The Three Corpse Ghost Sealing Seal was complete!

The fully formed seal would be even more consolidated, and the difficulty of breaking it would sharply increase.

After all, the quality of the materials was evident.

Below, the First Elder, who had failed to break through even after three consecutive charges, landed back on the ground.

His angry gaze swept around. If only they had given him a little more power, just a little more, he wouldn't have been so humiliated as to be unable to break the seal being applied.

But things in this world can sometimes be so ridiculous and absurd.

The First Elder almost growled:

"Quick, give me more, give me more, I can break it!"

The surrounding amber walls were completely silent.

The hole was sealed, meaning those people wouldn't come down again, which proved that they were temporarily safe.

Once the imminent crisis disappeared, the cohesion that had been so hard to gather also dispersed. It would be difficult to make those lying there contribute again.

The First Elder knew that his continued earnest persuasion should still have an effect, and he would indeed continue to do so.

But when he looked up at the opening, at the faces of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders looking down at him, he felt as if he saw himself, like...

He saw a huge joke.

Li Chuiyuan fell into a brief coma.

He did this on purpose, coming to the depths of his consciousness, watching the thick black impurities roll down, stirring up a frenzy among the fish in the pond.

In the past, Li Chuiyuan had experience: the more powerful the entity, the stronger the side effects of controlling it. Before, he only experienced effects related to personality and emotions.

This time, he discovered that the truly terrifying side effects might be a self-induced phenomenon.

A powerful entity, controlled by oneself, could be molded at will, even used as array material to plug an opening.

This unparalleled sense of control surged directly into his consciousness, wildly distorting his worldview.

Moreover, the young man's condition had recovered to a certain extent, allowing him to truly feel this intense stimulation.

This forced him, immediately after the ordeal, to come here and release those emotions.

The little fish fry from the pond had now become small fish, and occasionally, larger ones could be seen.

The young man reached out, casually stirred them a bit, then stood up.

Even now, these emotional wastes hadn't been fully discharged.

Li Chuiyuan finally understood why the person under the peach forest had to seal and suppress himself.

He had countless faces on him, but the truly most dangerous aspect was actually himself.

He closed his eyes, then awoke.

When he opened his eyes again, Li Chuiyuan felt a wave of weakness in his mind.

The good news was that his nosebleed had stopped.

Ahead were two rows of stone lions; inside the right lion was a large door, similar to a storeroom.

During Li Chuiyuan's "coma," Tan Wenbin had led everyone to the Zhao family's treasure vault.

"Little Yuan, are you alright?" Tan Wenbin asked with concern.

Li Chuiyuan nodded: "No big deal, my eyes aren't bleeding yet."

Tan Wenbin was slightly startled. Although he knew this was a sign of his condition improving, he was still unaccustomed to Little Yuan speaking in such a playful manner.

Lin Shuyou, on the other hand, had no reservations, simply bursting into: "Hahahahaha!"

It wasn't a funny joke, but when Little Yuan said it, Ah You truly couldn't help but laugh.

Because he shook so much from laughing, Ah You dropped several of the lanterns he was carrying.

"Ah!"

Ah You quickly crouched down to check if they were damaged.

Tan Wenbin comforted him: "It's fine, anyway, when we take them back, they'll be disassembled into raw materials."

Li Chuiyuan got off Run Sheng's back. The front of his clothes was stained with a lot of blood, feeling somewhat sticky and uncomfortable.

However, considering the Zhao family's treasure vault was right before them, this discomfort was nothing. Anyway, his clothes would get dirty when moving things.

Li Chuiyuan waved his hand towards the left. The eyes of the row of stone lions on the left side flashed collectively then quickly extinguished. He then waved his hand towards the right. The stone lions on the right side made a series of "cracking" sounds, and their necks all cracked open.

Considering the convenience of transporting items later, Li Chuiyuan simply destroyed these outer restrictions.

Things had progressed to this point; there was no longer any need to hide many things.

Li Chuiyuan had already decomposed the various small arrays and restrictions within the treasure vault, converting them into numbers for his companions to memorize on the way.

However, before officially entering, Li Chuiyuan still warned:

"Stay alert. Especially at a time like this, and in a place like this, there are always hidden dangers."

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

Run Sheng stepped forward, pushed open the large door, and everyone entered.

The area inside the vault was at least ten times larger than it appeared from the outside.

The entire accumulated wealth of the Jiujiang Zhao family was thus unreservedly laid bare before them.

The value of the items here could no longer be measured by money; even if you were willing to spend, you couldn't buy them.

"Wow!"

Lin Shuyou's mouth gaped open as he looked around. Today, he finally witnessed what a true martial family was like.

He used to only know that Three-Eyed's family was well-off, but he never imagined it was this good. Finally, Ah You sighed again:

"The car we drove... it's too small."

Tan Wenbin kept blinking, photographing everything he saw to ensure the most efficient transport later. He blinked so frequently and hard that his eyes became bloodshot.

Run Sheng swallowed once, then again.

Not to mention his companions, even Li Chuiyuan was slightly shocked by the scene here.

If this entire vault could be moved behind Great Grandfather's house, then whatever they wanted to create or research next could be done on a whim.

Li Chuiyuan continued to walk forward. Although his companions kept looking left and right, they maintained their formation.

The young man remembered Zhao Yi saying that there was an immortal old man in the Zhao family's vault who lived on treasures.

So far, Li Chuiyuan hadn't sensed his presence.

But, he most likely already knew where he would be.

Because the deepest part of the treasure vault, that long ice platform, silently informed everyone who entered that the most precious treasure was here!

Li Chuiyuan stopped in front of the ice platform, his gaze falling on the ancient-looking lamp above it.

Just looking at it, there was nothing extraordinary about this lamp; it couldn't even be called an antique.

In its era, such lamps were quite common.

Li Chuiyuan shifted his gaze downwards, onto the ice platform.

Normally, it seemed that only this spot was suitable for hiding a person, and it was closest to the lamp.

There were also words here.

Li Chuiyuan looked closely; they were newly left marks, in Zhao Yi's handwriting.

Others also noticed. Lin Shuyou read them aloud, asking doubtfully, "Whose birth characters are these?"

Tan Wenbin: "Ah You, they're yours."

"Huh?" Lin Shuyou translated in his mind, then suddenly realized, "They really are mine."

He rarely used them, and when he did, it was only a formality at formal sacrificial ceremonies, so it was normal not to be familiar with them.

Tan Wenbin asked, puzzled: "But, what is Zhao Yi implying by leaving Ah You's birth characters here? Could Ah You be the key to solving this situation?"

Lin Shuyou pointed to himself: "Me?"

Li Chuiyuan: "Perhaps Zhao Yi didn't know what to leave either. How this play should continue, he himself might not know.

Leaving this mark was to tell us that this lamp is very important.

The reason he left Ah You's birth characters was probably to prevent us from overthinking and misinterpreting."

Tan Wenbin: "That's true. If he could leave words, there's no need to be mysterious or play guessing games. Anyone with a normal mind would know to just write down the answer directly."

Lin Shuyou: "That Three-Eyed guy, he really is..."

Li Chuiyuan's gaze once again fell on the lamp, and he said:

"Treasures with more symbolic meaning must be related to the most important person in the family's history. So, this should be the lamp Zhao Wuyang lit when he walked the river back then."

Tan Wenbin: "So, that's a Dragon King relic."

Lin Shuyou: "In the family, it could be considered a sacred object."

Li Chuiyuan entered the spiritual path. In this state, the lamp showed no change.

But if it were truly just a "sacrificial object," then Zhao Yi's deliberate message here would be unnecessary.

Li Chuiyuan began to try various methods, observing the lamp from multiple angles, but still found nothing.

At this moment, the young man recalled the method he used at his home in Nantong to sense Zhao Wuyang's spiritual manifestation.

Invisible red threads emanated from the young man's palm, climbing up the ice platform, finally nearing the lamp.

The red threads touched the lamp base—no anomaly. They continued upwards—still no anomaly, until... the red threads touched the very top of the lamp.

"Hiss..."

In Li Chuiyuan's perception, his entire being felt as if it were being consumed by fierce flames. The young man quickly severed the external red threads, then knelt on one knee.

The burning sensation from his soul, the young man could actually bear. He had endured worse tortures. But just then, his entire spirit had been suppressed by the suddenly descending powerful authority.

Without mental support, the pain amplification was infinitely heightened.

"Little Yuan?"

No one stepped forward to help. After the young man knelt, everyone took their positions and stood alert.

Li Chuiyuan slowly stood up.

His clothes, previously stained by his nosebleed, were now soaked with cold sweat.

The young man's gaze once again fell on the lamp:

"Zhao Wuyang's lamp... is still burning."

Tan Wenbin: "Could it be that Zhao Wuyang is indeed still alive?"

Li Chuiyuan shook his head: "If he were still alive, the lamp flame should still be on this lamp, not like this, where the lamp is clearly not extinguished, but the flame is gone."

Lin Shuyou: "Where did the lamp flame go?"

Li Chuiyuan: "The entrance we sealed earlier, if there's no accident, there should be another world beneath it."

As for where the vanished lamp flame was specifically moved, Li Chuiyuan couldn't figure it out for now.

It wasn't a lack of deduction ability, but rather that humans cannot imagine things beyond their cognitive limits.

Some things, being too absurd, were excluded from the start.

But next...

Li Chuiyuan reached out; he decided to take down this lamp.

This area had no restrictions or arrays, but as he made this move, a strong sense of danger assaulted the young man.

Just as Li Chuiyuan's hand drew closer to the lamp, a face slowly emerged from beneath the ice platform.

It was a frozen and already indistinct face.

Li Chuiyuan's hand did not stop, only slightly slowed its motion.

The face moved higher and higher, stopping only when it was almost seeping out of the ice platform. But then, its eyes slowly began to open.

Its gaze turned upwards, looking at the lamp at the top.

The immortal old man in the vault, whom Zhao Yi had mentioned, appeared.

Run Sheng raised his Yellow River Shovel. If this thing dared to show its head again, he would smash it down without hesitation.

Lin Shuyou also quietly accumulated strength, and Tan Wenbin's skin was already preheating and turning red.

Li Chuiyuan knew that the face inside was warning him.

But the more it did so, the less likely Li Chuiyuan was to give up.

Because moving things from the Zhao family's treasure vault was the primary goal earlier, now a secondary goal.

Unlike other teams that were drawn into this wave through normal channels, their goal was to kill the Zhao family's First Elder.

And Li Chuiyuan and Zhao Yi, as temporary insertions, had the goal of uncovering the secret involving Zhao Wuyang deep within the Zhao family.

Finally, Li Chuiyuan's hand grasped the lamp.

The next moment, thick, amber-colored liquid began to ooze from the ice.

The eyes of that face also showed clear anger.

Zhao Luhai.

He was not only the founder of the Zhao family's underground secret but also its guardian.

The vault was the most suitable place for this lamp. Once it was taken out of the vault, whether taken away or moved nearby, it would cause the collapse of the special domain below.

In the past, few people were qualified to enter the ancestral home's treasure vault. Although most had expressed curiosity about this lamp, when Zhao Luhai appeared, they would tactfully refrain from touching it, bowing respectfully before leaving.

They were Zhao family members; there was no reason to desecrate the lamp their ancestor had lit, and even less to conflict with the Zhao family's own "foundations."

But this time, the young man before him managed to ignore the pressure he exerted and forcefully took the lamp into his hands.

Zhao Luhai decided to act.

In that special domain, he and the other coffins were not in the same place; he was alone, not allowing others to approach.

And in fact, this special domain had always had two entrances and exits since its creation.

One was the room where the First Elder was currently located. In the past, elders would lie in coffins and then be sent into the amber walls.

The other was this ice platform, but no one had ever entered or exited from here.

Now, Zhao Luhai, who was about to act, was not using the method of "awakening the foundation." If he did, even if he resolved the "thief," he himself would quickly perish.

He was the one most afraid of death; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the one to initiate such an act of ancestral disrespect.

So, he first made the amber-colored liquid flow out, forcibly pulling the domain towards this area. He intended to act within this domain.

Li Chuiyuan took the lamp in his hand and began to retreat rapidly.

But the liquid, which had initially only seeped, suddenly erupted furiously, and not just from the ice platform. In many areas of the vault, especially behind Li Chuiyuan and his companions, large quantities of amber liquid gushed forth like powerful fountains.

There was simply no time to react or maneuver. A massive amber sphere enveloped everyone, and then with a "splat," it poured down.

At this moment, Li Chuiyuan felt as if he had been thrown into a special area of light and shadow.

Zhao Luhai stood there, the ice melting rapidly from his body, and the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

In the underground room.

The First Elder was earnestly persuading.

But suddenly, the amber walls around him began to tremble, and the "ancestors" inside seemed to be boiling.

Because of Zhao Luhai's actions, expanding the domain, the other Zhao family members who could normally "reside" there felt a strong crisis of being pushed out.

What was being pulled away was precisely their "living space." One had to remember that there was no extra space here; otherwise, the First Elder wouldn't have had to endure being unable to enter earlier.

The First Elder looked up, towards the upper left. As the vault was infused with amber, the scene there became visible.

So, it was Zhao Luhai acting. No wonder they were all panicked.

Hands and feet, one by one, protruded from the walls. After rapidly decaying, they turned into streams of water that surged towards the First Elder.

The reason they became so eager was that Zhao Luhai wouldn't consider them at all. If they couldn't help Zhao Luhai quickly resolve the trouble there and let him continue to pull space like this, some of them would constantly be squeezed out, and the consequence of being squeezed out... was death.

Life, this thing, the longer one lives, the more one feels one hasn't lived enough.

First Elder: "If you had done this earlier, none of this would be happening now."

The crisis of life and death outweighed the First Elder's thousands of words.

The First Elder, whose body was replenished, began to attack the seal above again.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Run Sheng's shovel, just as it was about to strike Zhao Luhai's head, was blocked by Zhao Luhai's raised hand.

Immediately after, Zhao Luhai began to seize control of the shovel.

Li Chuiyuan acutely noticed that Zhao Luhai had just awakened from his frozen state. Although his body was awake, his mind was still in a state of sluggishness.

His reaction to Li Chuiyuan's previous action of taking the lamp... was like a dog instinctively guarding its food.

And now, he was essentially reacting to the enemy with the inertia of his pre-death life.

There was a time lag here.

If used properly, it could allow for an instantaneous kill of this powerful opponent.

Under Li Chuiyuan's direction, Run Sheng let out a roar, directly employing his strongest power short of full Qi gate activation. But it wasn't an attack; he played a tug-of-war with Zhao Luhai.

Lin Shuyou, who should have been the second wave to attack, was called to a halt by Li Chuiyuan. Tan Wenbin appeared on Zhao Luhai's other side first, activating his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth to create deterrence!

Zhao Luhai's mind, already in a chaotic state, fell into further sluggishness. He swept his other hand at Tan Wenbin as if shooing a fly.

"Slap!"

Tan Wenbin flew backward. Fortunately, he had prepared beforehand as Little Yuan had instructed, crossing his arms in front of him and using the strength of the Azure Ox for defense. Although his flight looked miserable, his injuries were not severe.

And just as Zhao Luhai had extended both arms, Lin Shuyou launched his attack.

He felt that this opponent was simply too foolish. Although he gave a strong physical impression, allowing himself to be directly attacked from the open front was truly treating him, the True Lord, as nothing.

Following Little Yuan's instructions, he pushed off with his back, and three talisman needles entered his body. This was Lin Shuyou's current maximum overdraft without becoming bedridden.

This opportunity might only come once. Li Chuiyuan made sure Lin Shuyou, responsible for the attack, delivered his strongest strike.

"Bang!"

Lin Shuyou's body spun like a high-speed top, creating layers of afterimages.

The moment he rushed in front of Zhao Luhai, Lin Shuyou smashed a mace heavily onto Zhao Luhai's head.

"Crack..."

Zhao Luhai's head first swelled up, then intricate cracks appeared, and finally, with a "pop," it exploded!

Blowing up the opponent's head was not the end. The White Crane True Lord's combat style had always been to kill an enemy in one go, never leaving them for the next.

The second mace struck Zhao Luhai's chest.

"Bang!"

The chest first caved in, then a clear, large hole was smashed through it.

Li Chuiyuan followed up at this point, releasing karmic fire to incinerate Zhao Luhai's remains.

Soon, he was nothing but a pile of ashes.

Even with that, Tan Wenbin, who had just landed, didn't let up. He sprang up in a carp-like maneuver and threw a string of talismans.

With continuous "crackling" sounds, even the ashes vanished into thin air.

It was resolved.

Everyone subtly let out a sigh of relief.

But the surrounding amber color, apart from fading a tiny bit, showed no other changes.

Li Chuiyuan: "Lin Shuyou, charge in that direction!"

Ah You charged forward, wanting to break through the amber barrier, but as soon as his maces struck, Zhao Luhai's figure appeared on the amber surface.

"Bang! Bang!"

After two consecutive heavy strikes, Lin Shuyou was flung backward, then retreated several more steps after landing.

"Little Yuan, that shadow punched back at me!"

The scene just now was too bizarre. The person who had been literally smashed to bits by them had inexplicably reincarnated as a shadow and could even attack.

"Run Sheng, go!"

Run Sheng took a deep breath, swung his shovel, and smashed it fiercely in front of him with immense power.

"Bang!"

Run Sheng did not recoil, but the furrows on his arms rapidly flowed, and he became locked in a stalemate.

"Run Sheng, retreat!"

Run Sheng, who voluntarily disengaged, retreated steadily.

Li Chuiyuan tried to set up an array, but as soon as he started, he realized that any array here was difficult to form.

"This is within someone else's array... No, it's not just an array; this is a special domain."

At this moment, from the depths below, a new body was being re-condensed. Now, the part above the neck had appeared.

This person looked up, it was Zhao Luhai.

The instinctive anger in his eyes had receded significantly, and a hint of mockery hung on his lips. Clearly, his consciousness had largely recovered from its frozen state.

When he fully adjusted and came up again, he would not give them the same opportunity as last time.

Moreover, this was his absolute home ground. Even if his body wasn't fully recovered, he could still trap everyone inside.

Lin Shuyou: "What kind of freak is this? Is he immortal?"

Li Chuiyuan bypassed Zhao Luhai, who was reconstituting his body in a bizarre manner, and looked deeper into the amber:

"He's not immortal; he must have a substitute."

The dilution of the amber increased the penetrative power of their gaze, but Li Chuiyuan could only see that the entire underground of the Zhao family's ancestral home was filled with this substance.

It was very similar to the jade wall encountered beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which also harbored a group of shadows, i.e., corpses.

Tan Wenbin came to the young man's side, first crouching, then placing his hands on the ground, and said:

"Little Yuan, let's see what's truly in the deepest part?"

Li Chuiyuan nodded, wrapping the red threads around Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin activated his spiritual walk, and his snake eyes quickly penetrated downwards.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin was effectively Li Chuiyuan's periscope.

Li Chuiyuan saw coffins, all with open lids, empty inside.

Continuing downwards, the young man saw a group of disheveled, frantic people, all huddled around the outer walls of a room, extending parts of their limbs. Those extended limbs quickly decayed, eventually turning into thin streams that converged onto the only person present in the room.

During this period, some people's bodies suddenly exploded and completely dissipated.

And each time someone exploded, the remaining people, as if greatly stimulated, would even more frantically extend more of their limbs.

Li Chuiyuan continued to look down. He saw an altar, pulling closer, closer, closer...

Tan Wenbin's eyes began to become overwhelmed, tearing at the corners, but he knew this was the final crucial moment; he had to let Little Yuan obtain the most important information.

Finally, Li Chuiyuan saw it.

On the altar, a head was placed, with a flickering flame on top.

"Ah!"

Tan Wenbin leaned forward, simply falling to the ground, panting heavily.

Li Chuiyuan, standing there, his gaze turned cold, and his fists slowly clenched.

"The Zhao family... lit the sky lamp with Zhao Wuyang's head."

Even Li Chuiyuan's previous extreme assumption was that the Zhao family, in another way, defied the Dragon King's will, forcing Zhao Wuyang's partial existence.

But the young man truly hadn't expected that the Zhao family would dare to openly insult their ancestor in such a blatant manner.

One must know that this was the ancestral home of Jiujiang Zhao. Those seemingly mad people, to be qualified for a coffin there, had to be at least elders of the Zhao family throughout generations.

Li Chuiyuan was not a Zhao family member; the Zhao family's act of insulting their ancestor did not resonate with him personally.

But the young man had received a favor from Zhao Wuyang. That broad-minded Dragon King had generously gifted a precious relic to him, an outsider.

Anyone who upheld peace in a region and suppressed evil spirits, he would give to, and he would not be stingy.

Zhao Wuyang, during his lifetime, rose from humble beginnings, and by his own power, seized the position of Dragon King from the successor of the Dragon King's lineage, writing his own era.

Such a figure, whose stories are still circulated in the martial world and who is regarded as a self-motivational figure by countless people, suppressed the martial world in life, yet met such a fate after death.

Zhao Wuyang did not belong to the Zhao family alone.

"Heh, you, the Zhao family, worse than pigs and dogs, dare to call yourselves descendants of Zhao Wuyang?"

Li Chuiyuan's gaze fell on the lamp in his hand.

"Only by extinguishing this lamp can we break the environment here."

Run Sheng: "But this lamp isn't lit."

Li Chuiyuan shook his head: "No, it is lit."

The young man placed his palm on the lamp. Soon, burn marks appeared on the young man's palm.

Although the lamp flame was not physically here, this lamp had never extinguished.

Li Chuiyuan had moved his hand earlier only for demonstration and to make a final confirmation, not to harm himself.

Run Sheng: "I'll smash this lamp."

Li Chuiyuan: "This lamp has no intrinsic value. It's the Dragon King's karma condensed within it. Even if it's shattered, it will still exist and continue to burn. From the spiritual perspective, its form can still be seen."

The young man placed the lamp in front of him and began to cast various spells on it, but still could not make it extinguish.

Similarly, on that altar, the lamp flame at Zhao Wuyang's head must still be burning.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

A part of the ground bulged, like a constantly expanding dome, inside which was Zhao Luhai, who had re-condensed half of his body.

Seeing this, Run Sheng picked up his shovel and Lin Shuyou his maces, frantically striking him, but they could not break through this dome.

Zhao Luhai looked at Li Chuiyuan and smiled:

"You're not telling them to save some strength?"

Li Chuiyuan didn't call for a halt, continuing to cast spells with his hands, trying everything, useful or not.

Zhao Luhai sighed: "Which family do you belong to, child? You're not old, but you know so much."

Li Chuiyuan still ignored him.

Zhao Luhai, however, continued: "Don't waste your efforts. I'm only afraid of you taking this lamp away; I'm not at all worried about you extinguishing it.

How can a lamp, whose flame isn't even here, possibly be extinguished?"

Li Chuiyuan continued to ignore him, taking out talismans and a small Luo pan, continuing to try and extinguish the lamp.

Zhao Luhai: "Don't waste your efforts. Also, tell these two to stop."

As he spoke, Zhao Luhai's legs had recovered by half.

"Let them save some strength. I haven't fought in many years. If they run out of strength later, I'll lose a lot of fun killing them."

In the underground room.

"Hahahaha!"

The reinforcements, which had been impossible to summon earlier, now poured in in overwhelming numbers.

The "ancestors" were all eagerly hoping that he would absorb more, so he could break the seal and help Zhao Luhai.

Because the tearing of the domain and Zhao Luhai's body repair both consumed them.

Many people's bodies had already exploded and completely dissipated.

It was only today that everyone realized that the true protagonist of the so-called longevity dream here was only one person: Zhao Luhai.

He built this place and needed the Zhao family to maintain it for generations. He didn't mind the Zhao family moving in; after all, those who moved in became his "reserve food."

Indeed, how could a person so ruthless even to his own ancestor have any compassion for his descendants?

The First Elder absorbed a satisfying amount this time.

In fact, breaking the seal above wasn't difficult. As long as one... two... or at most three of them came out, they could ensure the seal was destroyed.

But no one was willing to come out. These people preferred to constantly sacrifice body parts, preferred to be designated to explode and turn into nutrients, rather than taking the plunge and paying the certain death price for the welfare of others.

The First Elder's old face had already become plump at this point.

He felt it was time for him to act.

After breaking through the seal, he would then take care of all matters inside and outside the ancestral home. By then, he could comfortably lie down in this spacious place that was no longer crowded.

His body rose upwards, and he threw a punch.

"Boom!"

The faces of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders exploded after a distortion, the seal was broken, and the First Elder arrived on the ground.

He did not pause, quickly moving to the treasure vault.

At this time, half of the vault area was covered in amber, no wonder the people below went crazy.

Inside the dome, Zhao Luhai still had two leg sections to repair.

The First Elder could not enter the amber area, so he bowed respectfully to Zhao Luhai:

"Junior Zhao Dexiao greets the ancestor."

Zhao Luhai didn't even turn to look at him, nor did he open the amber to let him in. He merely said flatly:

"You must have eaten very comfortably, haven't you?"

Hearing this, the First Elder was so frightened he prostrated himself: "This junior did not mean to compete with you... this junior merely..."

He wanted to say "compete for food," but felt the phrase was inappropriate to utter.

Zhao Luhai: "You've eaten, so be it. You don't need to concern yourself with matters here; I will enjoy it myself. Save your strength and go reorganize affairs inside and outside the house.

Outsiders can even enter the vault and take the lamp now. This shows how fallen and absurd the current Zhao family has become. Truly a disgrace to our ancestors."

The First Elder immediately replied: "Please rest assured, I will certainly reorganize all external matters and will never disturb your peace again."

The reason for the First Elder's subservience was that the "vitality" he had just gained was fleeting; he would have to lie back down soon, so he naturally couldn't offend Zhao Luhai.

Zhao Luhai lowered his head, first looked at his rapidly recovering feet, then at Run Sheng and Lin Shuyou, who were still furiously smashing on either side, and finally, looked back at the young man who was still trying various methods, smiling:

"You are truly persistent. Still not giving up?"

Li Chuiyuan stopped his actions and looked at Zhao Luhai. This person, if there were no surprises, should be the most powerful individual in the Zhao family's history, apart from Zhao Wuyang.

Moreover, his methods and abilities were astonishing; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to set up this situation.

This also meant that in the Zhao family's history, there was actually hope for another Dragon King after Zhao Wuyang. A being like Zhao Luhai, in his generation, must have been an outstanding figure in the martial world.

But it was precisely because of him... that the Zhao family's path was twisted.

Li Chuiyuan continued to place the lamp on the ground, stood up, clapped his hands, and asked:

"Give up what?"

Zhao Luhai: "With their combined strength, even using secret techniques, they cannot break this dome of mine. It's better to save some strength, so when I come out, you can wail louder."

Li Chuiyuan: "Anyway, we're just idling."

Zhao Luhai: "Remaining so composed even before death, child, what a pity you are."

Li Chuiyuan: "Who lives and who dies, is still unknown, isn't it?"

Zhao Luhai: "Oh?"

Li Chuiyuan: "If I extinguish this lamp, won't you just dissipate?"

Zhao Luhai: "Heh heh, yes, so, have you found a way to extinguish this lamp?"

Li Chuiyuan: "Yes, I have."

Zhao Luhai's eyes flickered slightly, then the smile on his face widened: "Hmm, truly impressive. After trying so many methods, you finally found it? Heh heh heh heh."

"Oh, you mean these." Li Chuiyuan pointed to the various marks around the lamp on the ground. "Just playing around, since I was idle anyway."

Zhao Luhai: "Playing around?"

Li Chuiyuan: "Yes, I didn't originally intend to play for so long, but I saw you looking so happy, so I played a bit longer, to make you happy longer."

Zhao Luhai: "Hahahahahahaha!"

The First Elder outside also echoed: "Heh heh heh!"

Li Chuiyuan's relaxed expression faded, replaced by seriousness. He spread his hands, and immediately, a solemn and dignified aura flowed forth.

The lamp on the ground also trembled slightly in response.

Zhao Luhai's laughter stopped. He frowned, looking at the young man, puzzled:

"You are..."

*(Note: The following part is a meta-commentary by the author, indicating a chapter break, not part of the narrative itself.)*

**Chapter 316 Continuation!**

The First Elder was far away, and separated by amber, so he couldn't perceive it clearly, but he instinctively felt that what the young man was doing now was very familiar.

Not only was it familiar to the First Elder, but Run Sheng also frowned, recognizing it.

Tan Wenbin vigorously rubbed his bleeding eyes, as if thinking he had seen wrong, but after confirming again, he couldn't help but exclaim:

"Little Yuan, are you going to..."

Only Ah You didn't know what this meant, because he wasn't present when the ceremony was held.

Li Chuiyuan slowly raised his palms, and the solemn atmosphere grew heavier.

Zhao Luhai: "You are performing a second lamp lighting, withdrawing from walking the river?"

Li Chuiyuan didn't respond, continuing his movements.

Zhao Luhai: "Hahahahaha, do you think this will make me spare your life? How can you be so naive?"

Li Chuiyuan slowly retracted his palms, forming a loose grasp.

Zhao Luhai sighed, feeling an emptiness as if a joke had gone on too long:

"This is the lamp lit by my ancestor. My ancestor's spiritual will is condensed upon it. Heh, even if you want to light the lamp a second time to abandon yourself, you shouldn't use this lamp.

This is a lamp once used by the Dragon King. Do you think an ordinary person's fate can wield it?

Don't waste such effort. I suggest you choose a candle, or find a talisman paper. Anyway, sincerity makes it effective. The appearance of this lamp is merely a ritual."

The lamp indeed did not ignite at a normal pace.

Zhao Luhai's face revealed an expression of understanding.

But the young man's next words suddenly made his expression tense.

"This junior, Li Chuiyuan, inheritor of the Dragon King Qin family—hereby requests the use of the Dragon King Lamp!"

The lamp stopped shaking, becoming incredibly quiet.

Then, with a faint "crack," a barely visible lamp flame ignited.

Zhao Luhai's eyes widened, and panic appeared on his face.

Perhaps, he himself couldn't distinguish whether he was more shocked that the lamp had actually lit or by the young man's self-proclaimed identity as a Dragon King lineage member.

However, upon seeing the lamp burn feebly, Zhao Luhai's heart eased:

"Even if you are from the Dragon King family, so what? There are so many people from the Dragon King family. Who is truly qualified to use the Dragon King's relic—"

"This junior, Li Chuiyuan, inheritor of the Dragon King Liu family—hereby requests the use of the Dragon King Lamp!"

"Pfft..."

The lamp flame ignited completely.

Zhao Luhai craned his neck, looking at this scene in disbelief.

He had been in a frozen state. Apart from instinctively looking at this lamp, he had no idea what was happening outside.

In contrast, the First Elder, standing behind Zhao Luhai, froze completely when he heard "Dragon King Qin." When he heard "Dragon King Liu" again, his mouth dropped open, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

When did the Dragon King Qin and Liu families produce a contemporary inheritor, and one so young?

How could that short-tempered old woman possibly be willing to give the Dragon King lineage's inheritance to an outsider?

And, she even allowed this outsider to bear the mantle of two lineages?

But the ancestor's lamp had indeed lit.

This meant that the young man had not lied; he was indeed the inheritor of both Dragon King lineages.

Looking at the young man's age, the First Elder suddenly thought of a possibility: wasn't the old woman's granddaughter...

He had personally written a visit request with marriage proposal intent, hoping to forge a connection with that Dragon King family, preferably bringing the girl with the blood of both Dragon King lineages here.

Now, someone from the Dragon King family had arrived.

For some reason, the First Elder, who had originally believed his family's heritage allowed them to stand as equals with the declining Dragon King family for marriage, now felt intensely insecure, cold sweat dripping.

He remembered the dream he had had several times: two dragons... truly flying over Jiujiang.

Lighting the lamp was only the first step.

The next, and most crucial, step was to declare to heaven and earth that one admitted defeat, descended from the river, and renounced the competition for the Dragon King position.

Zhao Luhai: "Two Dragon King inheritances... Child, I can give face to the Dragon King lineage. End all this, and I will let you leave!"

Li Chuiyuan ignored him.

Zhao Luhai continued to persuade: "It's meaningless. You have a great future ahead of you. There's no need to light the lamp a second time and admit defeat here. It's too much of a pity."

Li Chuiyuan looked up and said sincerely:

"Heavenly Dao above..."

"Buzz!"

The previously normal flame on the lamp instantly turned red and green. Such an anomaly indicated that the Heavenly Dao had sensed it.

But the next moment, before the young man had finished speaking, the burning lamp flame suddenly vanished into thin air.

On the altar deep within the viscous amber, the flame at Zhao Wuyang's head now mixed with red and green colors.

According to the mechanism Zhao Luhai had placed on the lamp flame, the lamp flame on this lamp would not remain on the lamp itself; it naturally had to go to its designated place.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Zhao Luhai clapped his hands, his previous tension and apprehension swept away.

"Hahahaha, why bother? What kind of method is this? You really did give me a fright."

Zhao Luhai's body was now completely repaired. The dome around him fell away, and he stepped out.

A terrifying aura began to spread.

Run Sheng and Lin Shuyou stood in front of Li Chuiyuan, protecting the young man behind them.

Zhao Luhai: "Even if you are from the Dragon King family, you will die today. I cannot let you return!"

Li Chuiyuan maintained his previous posture, even continuing the words he had not finished earlier:

"Heavenly Dao above, I, Li Chuiyuan, from this day forward, light the lamp in surrender, and withdraw from walking the river!"

After reciting, Li Chuiyuan lowered his hands and bowed his head.

Zhao Luhai: "Heh, what's the point? I'm starting to wonder if you're a so-called Dragon King family prodigy or a madman from the Dragon King family."

As he spoke, Zhao Luhai raised his hand. The surrounding amber was drawn by him, and an immense pressure poured out.

Run Sheng was ready to open all his Qi gates, and Lin Shuyou held a handful of talisman needles tightly.

Li Chuiyuan, however, was very calm, so calm that he seemed to be in a daze at this moment.

He had speculated before, and while he thought it was roughly correct, this was Li Chuiyuan's first attempt. Facing the impending outcome, apart from a sense of openness, there was indeed a slight complexity in his heart.

The young man involuntarily muttered to himself: "You say..."

Zhao Luhai: "What?"

Li Chuiyuan: "Will 'it' agree to give me a chance to light the lamp a second time and admit defeat?"

Zhao Luhai: "Who are you talking about?"

"Buzz!"

A crisp sound rang in Li Chuiyuan's ears. The young man's mind felt a heavy blow, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body swaying. He knelt on the ground, blood instantly oozing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, looking terrifying.

"Snap!"

On the altar, the mixed red and green lamp flame on Zhao Wuyang's head instantly extinguished!

It did not agree!