Ch 137: I Didn’t Expect Such an Opportunity
It doesn’t matter if the treasure is not found, or if the information cannot be discovered; these are things that can be anticipated beforehand.
Some of the Zhao Family’s treasures were probably sent out in advance.
After the Han and Zhang Families defeated the Zhao Family, they would definitely have searched more thoroughly.
Even if there were some other odds and ends left, with the great change in the Terrain, the entire Zhao Family was thrown away and scattered, and it was likely that they didn’t know where they were blown to.
But it doesn’t matter, he still has a way to remedy the situation.
Qi Xuan took out a Stone Seal and then took out a Talismans.
The Stone Seal was made of hard material, with special materials, and after special refining, only a small half of it was left broken, which looked like it had experienced a violent explosion.
A complete character “Chang” was left at the bottom of the seal, as well as half of the character “Tian” that was broken.
If nothing unexpected happened, this Stone Seal must have belonged to Zhao Lingyun’s father, the Zhao Family Head Zhao Tianchang, used to stamp in some clan’s political orders and external contacts, with his own Aura to prevent counterfeiting.
Normally, this small Stone Seal had almost no use except for occasional stamping needs.
But at this moment, it had become an extremely important key item.
Besides the Stone Seal, the Talismans he took out was the Shadow Return Talisman he had drawn before from the Bronze guarantee draw.
The Shadow Return Talisman could trace back the images of a certain period of time in the past.
Talismans that were related to time were basically top-notch Precious Talismans.
As for this Shadow Return Talisman, the difficulty of refining it was among the top of the Second Grade Talismans, and the possibility of failure was extremely high, and only a Third Grade Talisman maker could ensure its refining.
However, although the Shadow Return Talisman was powerful and looked very special, there were still considerable limitations at the Second Grade level.
The most obvious point was that the images traced back were relatively random, and it couldn’t be ensured that they were exactly the images one needed.
For example, a brick on the ground, from its casting into a brick to its arrival here, this spanned hundreds of years, and the Shadow Return Talisman might randomly trace back to a certain point in time, and it couldn’t completely specify the point in time one needed.
But on the other hand, the time point of the Shadow Return Talisman’s tracing back was also greatly related to the state of the item itself.
For example, a broken item, then the images it traced back had a high probability of being related to the situation when it was broken.
In addition, the second limitation was that the longer the time the Shadow Return Talisman traced back, the more serious the Spiritual Energy disturbance at the scene, and the higher the level involved, the shorter the time of the image.
If it was aimed at the Golden Core for tracing back, perhaps he could only see his face flash by in the phantom of history, and the entire Shadow Return Talisman would be completely ineffective.
Fortunately, the object of this tracing back was at most the late Foundation Stage, and there was a broken Stone Seal, a key item, so it should last for a while, right?
Qi Xuan was somewhat apprehensive as he wrapped the broken Stone Seal with the Shadow Return Talisman.
After activating the Talismans, a layer of hazy phantom seemed to appear on the Stone Seal.
In an instant, countless images seemed to flash across the phantom, and in each image, the Stone Seal appeared, and finally, when the Stone Seal suddenly became intact, the phantom no longer changed, but completely solidified, turning into a real scene, presented before his eyes—
“…The Han Family and the Zhang Family have come to the door, since they dare to act this time, they must have been prepared long ago, Moyeun, you quickly take the Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate to the Family Secret Ground, and you must not let this Cultivation treasure fall into the hands of the Han and Zhang Families!”
The scene was an ancient-style house, with a noisy crowd all around, screams, angry shouts, and fighting sounds, which never stopped.
A middle-aged man in a purple robe, holding a jade plate, stuffed the jade plate into the hands of another, slightly younger, red-robed person.
Seeing the Stone Seal hanging from the waist of the purple-robed middle-aged man, Qi Xuan immediately determined that this person was Zhao Lingyun’s father, the Zhao Family Head Zhao Tianchang.
Then the identity of the red-robed person opposite him was not difficult to imagine, he must be his third brother, Zhao Lingyun’s third uncle, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator Zhao Moyeun.
“Big Brother, what do you do?”
Zhao Moyeun asked anxiously:
“Why don’t we go together? Second Brother is outside now, as long as the three of us brothers are fine, even if the clan is destroyed, it’s not a problem! As long as the green mountains remain, there’s no need to worry about firewood!”
Zhao Tianchang refused in a deep voice:
“I promised my father to protect the family, as the head of the family, before the crisis of clan destruction, anyone can leave, but I can’t!
You and Yuehong should hide well in the Family Secret Ground, cultivate carefully, and in the future, you may be able to rebuild the family business, go quickly!”
Saying that, Zhao Tianchang pushed Zhao Moyeun forward fiercely.
“Big Brother!”
“Go!”
“Hahaha, none of you can leave!”
Almost at the moment the words fell, a loud bang suddenly exploded.
The hard and tough walls instantly shattered, and amidst countless broken wood and debris, a three-foot-square Stone Seal rushed to the front.
With a “pop” sound.
The huge Stone Seal was suddenly knocked away by a purple lightning whip.
“Han Longhua! Do you have to fight with our Zhao Family to the death?!”
The Stone Seal flew backward and, after shrinking, fell into the hands of a white-haired middle-aged man.
Han Longhua held the Stone Seal and smiled:
“The fish will die, but the net may not necessarily break, am I right, Brother Xinglan?”
Beside him, another young man in gorgeous clothes said indifferently:
“If the two of us act at the same time, we still can’t take down the Zhao Family, it will be laughed at if we say it out loud.”
Zhao Tianchang’s face suddenly turned gloomy:
“Zhang Xinglan, when did our Zhao Family offend your Zhang Family? Why do you have to force us?!”
“Brother Tianchang, you’re wrong.”
Han Longhua said in a strange tone:
“The Zhang Family is determined to replace the Nangong Family’s position, and you married your daughter to the Nangong Family, choosing to ally with the Nangong Family, isn’t this a provocation for the Zhang Family? If everyone chooses to rely on the Nangong Family, the Zhang Family, and our Han Family, what chance do we have to get ahead?”
“We are just getting married, and we don’t intend to be enemies with anyone, why can’t everyone coexist peacefully?!”
“Peaceful coexistence?”
Han Longhua couldn’t help but laugh:
“Brother Tianchang is still as naive as ever, if you look at the outside world, is this a scene where you can coexist peacefully?
How many Cultivators have been forced to go crazy on the spot by the Illness? How many families have been completely destroyed under the influence of the Illness?
Heaven and earth are not benevolent, letting you and me descend into this era of scarce resources and the endless Disaster.
Only by fighting hard can we survive, and only then can the family continue!
The Zhao Family has come to this step under your leadership, which can be said to be self-inflicted.
Now is the time for you to pay the price!”
Before the words were finished, he raised his hand and struck out the Stone Seal, directly attacking Zhao Tianchang.
Zhao Tianchang was hit by the lightning whip.
On the other side, Zhang Xinglan rushed towards Zhao Moyeun behind him.
Zhao Tianchang blocked with his whip and shouted loudly:
“Go quickly!!”
Zhao Moyeun gritted his teeth and, after applying a Precious Talismans, instantly fled away.
Zhang Xinglan frowned and also picked up a Precious Talismans, as if intending to pursue.
At this moment, Zhao Tianchang suddenly rushed towards the other side frantically.
Seeing this, Han Longhua seemed to remember something, and his face suddenly changed drastically:
“Stop him!”
“He’s going to the Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone!!”
Zhang Xinglan’s expression also changed, and he immediately took action to stop him.
But Zhao Tianchang’s speed was unbelievably fast.
The three fought and chased, and in the end, Zhao Tianchang still crashed into the chaotic Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone.
In the Breeding Zone, the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Zhao Family were fighting a great battle with six Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were attacking with the help of the array.
The array was crumbling under the attack of the six Foundation Establishment Cultivators and could collapse at any time.
At this moment, seeing Zhao Tianchang rushing in quickly, the two Zhao Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators were immediately overjoyed.
But almost at the moment he rushed into the array, Han Longhua and Zhang Xinglan, who were chasing behind him, acted together.
Two powerful Magic Artifacts slammed into the array.
Amidst the loud noise, the array, which was already crumbling, immediately collapsed, and the two Zhao Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were manipulating the array immediately retreated with serious injuries.
“You go quickly, leave it to me here!”
Saying that, Zhao Tianchang applied two Precious Talismans to the backs of the two, one in each hand, and threw them away.
Without Han Longhua and Zhang Xinglan’s orders, the six Foundation Establishment Cultivators behind them split into four, and respectively chased after the two Zhao Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Only Zhao Tianchang was left in the field.
The buzzing sound continued all around, and the Ghost Cicadas were densely climbing in the tree cages.
He stood alone in the center of the Breeding Zone, looking calm and composed, not seeing the previous impatience at all.
Seeing this, Han Longhua and Zhang Xinglan’s faces all became somewhat solemn.
“Isn’t it strange why there are insiders, and the Breeding Zone hasn’t been breached so quickly?”
Zhao Tianchang smiled and continued:
“As the most core asset of our Zhao Family, the defense of the Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone is naturally not that simple.
In addition to the two sets of arrays that are exposed to the outside world, there is a third set below, which only I know.
It’s a pity that the array passed down from generation to generation has decreased in power after so many years.
Otherwise, with just a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, how could you break through in a short time?”
Han Longhua took a deep breath and barely smiled:
“Brother Tianchang, let’s talk nicely, there’s no need to fight and kill.
Although your Zhao Family has suffered a lot of losses this time, the Foundation Establishment combat power is still there, and the Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone hasn’t been destroyed, we can still talk about it.”
“Talk?”
Zhao Tianchang laughed angrily:
“What are we talking about? Talking about how you will divide all the resources of my Zhao Family? Talking about how you will eradicate my Zhao Family?!”
“Do you know why our Zhang Family agreed to join forces with the Han Family?”
The question posed by Zhang Xinglan immediately attracted Zhao Tianchang’s attention.
“The Zhao Family Head should have heard of the Yuchi Family, right?”
“The Yuchi Family? A Golden Core Family, who hasn’t heard of it?” Zhao Tianchang sneered, “You’re not saying that this joint attack on my Zhao Family was instructed by the Yuchi Family, are you?”
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xinglan nodded:
“Not far off.”
“The Yuchi Family, as a Golden Core Family, had a Golden Core ancestor, and for a time, they were unmatched, but as that Golden Core was conscripted by the upper sect and died in a great battle, the Yuchi Family’s momentum plummeted, and it declined day by day, until not long ago, another genius emerged, Yuchi Wujing, who was only one hundred and fifty years old and had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and is now attacking the Golden Core.”
“In the current situation where the Dueling Heaven Sect has closed its mountain gates, the Golden Core Realmers outside are few and far between, and each one is a big figure who dominates one side, and our Shenqiu Domain doesn’t even have a single Golden Core.
If Yuchi Wujing can prove the Dao Golden Core, then let alone a small Nangong Family, it will be no problem to unify the entire Shenqiu Domain.
And all the Spiritual Materials resources will be under our control and redistributed.
We will be the first to serve the Yuchi Family and work for the Yuchi Family, and we will naturally benefit afterwards.
Maybe we won’t be able to survive the Illness, but we will definitely live to the end!”
Zhao Tianchang sneered:
“Do you believe what you said?”
“If I don’t believe it, why would I be here?”
“How do you know the Yuchi Family won’t go back on their word?”
“They have already sent us a batch of Tranquility Pills in advance.”
“A batch of Tranquility Pills bought you over? To sell your lives for them?”
“And Congealing Flower Dew.”
“Congealing Flower Dew?”
Zhao Tianchang suddenly frowned.
Zhang Xinglan said in a deep voice:
“Congealing Flower Dew is a Precious Medicine that they have imitated based on the Tranquility Pill. After we asked someone to test the medicine, we found that it has a very strong suppression effect on the Illness, almost not weaker than the Tranquility Pill.
This also means that even if the Dueling Heaven Sect has closed its mountain gates, in the case of the Tranquility Pill being cut off, we can still find similar drugs to replace it, greatly extending the life of the family.
Why do you say we don’t sell our lives for them?
What’s the difference between selling our lives for the Yuchi Family and selling our lives for the Dueling Heaven Sect?
Oh, there is a difference, the Yuchi Family is weaker, so they are more generous to us, and the benefits they give are also more, not as arrogant and domineering as the Dueling Heaven Sect.”
Zhao Tianchang, however, didn’t take it seriously after hearing this:
“The Dueling Heaven Sect has so many great alchemists, and they have only researched one Tranquility Pill.
If the Tranquility Pill was so easy to imitate, after so long, there wouldn’t only be this one Precious Medicine.”
“Is it possible that the imitation of the Tranquility Pill is actually not difficult, but the Dueling Heaven Sect doesn’t allow imitation, so they promote it like that?”
Zhang Xinglan said meaningfully.
Zhao Tianchang’s expression was slightly stagnant.
Then he said:
“Then what does this have to do with you attacking my Zhao Family?”
“What qualifications does my Zhao Family have to make the Yuchi Family send the two of you to deal with us?”
Facing Zhao Tianchang’s questioning, Zhang Xinglan said lightly:
“A commoner is innocent, but he is guilty because he possesses a treasure.”
“The main material for refining Congealing Flower Dew is precisely Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid.”
“Of course, if it’s just Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid, the Yuchi Family wouldn’t have to attack you, at most, they would trade with each other.”
“It’s just a pity that the Cultivation treasure, the Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate, that your Zhao Family possesses, is also of great use for refining Congealing Flower Dew.”
“These two things are extremely important to any family, and I’m afraid that the Zhao Family Head doesn’t want to give up either one, so there’s no way, we have to come and take them ourselves.”
Zhao Tianchang burst out laughing:
“After finding so many excuses, aren’t you still trying to seize our Zhao Family’s treasures?!”
“That’s indeed the case, we don’t deny it.”
Zhang Xinglan nodded:
“But the situation is different now, you sent the Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate away, and it’s a little troublesome to find it.
What’s important is that we haven’t successfully occupied this Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone, and if you destroy it, it will delay the refining of Congealing Flower Dew.
Now, Zhao Family Head, no, Brother Tianchang, you already have enough qualifications to be at the table.
As long as you are willing, we may not be able to negotiate and discuss a plan that you can accept.
You can’t rely on just this Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid to sustain the entire family, right?
You and I both know that it’s just waiting to die, and now there’s a new way out, why not give it a try?”
Zhao Tianchang seemed to be moved, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.
But just as a look of smugness appeared in Zhang Xinglan’s eyes.
In the next second, Zhao Tianchang, the whole person, exploded in a very abrupt way.
With his self-explosion, the scene also completely dissipated.
Qi Xuan silently watched the broken Stone Seal, and he could still see Han Longhua’s expression of shock and incomprehension, as well as Zhang Xinglan’s face full of frustration.
There is no doubt that the Stone Seal was destroyed in Zhao Tianchang’s self-explosion.
If nothing unexpected happened, the entire Ghost Cicada Breeding Zone should have been blown to pieces.
Including Han Longhua and Zhang Xinglan, who were closest, they were very likely to be seriously injured in this self-explosion.
After being silent for a while, Qi Xuan roughly sorted out the thoughts in his mind.
Zhao Tianchang’s self-explosion was decisive and ruthless, and he must have seen through the hypocrisy under Zhang Xinglan’s invitation long ago.
He would rather fight to the death than give the Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid to them.
Now the Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid is basically finished.
The Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate was taken to the Family Secret Ground by Zhao Moyeun, and it is unknown whether it can be kept.
But no matter what, the Han and Zhang Families’ goal of attacking the Zhao Family was at least half destroyed.
Then can the Yuchi Family’s Congealing Flower Dew continue to be refined?
It should still be able to be refined, otherwise, where did the first batch of Congealing Flower Dew come from?
Moreover, he always felt that Zhang Xinglan was not telling the whole truth, and there were many key details that were not revealed.
Furthermore, that Yuchi Wujing, who was about to prove the Dao Golden Core, was also very concerning.
Previously, Nangong Wuji had said that the higher the Realm, the more serious the negative impact of the Illness.
Nangong Yaohua was still able to control it before breaking through, but not long after breaking through the Foundation Establishment, he immediately transformed into a Monster.
The Yuchi Family could never have known these things.
Then how do they avoid Yuchi Wujing from falling ill after achieving the Golden Core, endangering the entire family?
And how do they let Yuchi Wujing avoid the influence of the Illness and safely advance to the Golden Core?
Qi Xuan vaguely had a guess that this was related to the Yuchi Family letting the Han and Zhang Families collect the Ghost Cicada Spirit Liquid or the Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate.
It was not simply for refining Congealing Flower Dew, but very likely for other purposes.
But that was all in the past, and no matter how much he pursued it now, it would be difficult to understand the truth.
Even if he had the opportunity to go to the Yuchi Family in the future, he might not know what happened back then.
Two hundred years was really too long, and many secrets had been completely buried by time.
Even a Precious Talismans like the Shadow Return Talisman might not be able to show it.
After a slight sigh, Qi Xuan focused his attention on the next action.
The Cultivation treasure, the Nine Orifices Spirit True Plate, was taken to the Family Secret Ground by Zhao Moyeun, but it was not certain whether it could be kept.
After all, judging from Zhang Xinglan’s posture at the time, he had a way to continue tracking.
Faced with the pursuit of the Han and Zhang Families, unless that Family Secret Ground was extremely hidden or extremely dangerous, there was a high probability that they would succeed, and then fall into the hands of the Yuchi Family.
“I can’t let me go and snatch things from a Golden Core, right?”
Qi Xuan rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and immediately dispelled this terrifying thought.
After thinking about it, he decided to follow Zhao Moyeun’s clue to investigate, in case this Zhao Family’s third brother was more capable and wasn’t caught up by the other party, wouldn’t that be a happy ending?
Qi Xuan immediately prepared to set off, and after glancing around, his gaze suddenly paused slightly.
“I didn’t expect to have such an opportunity.”
