The old patriarch, unable to suppress his killing intent, declared, "Has Old Demon Hong gone mad?"
"To commit such an outrageous and heinous act right under my nose—no matter where he flees, even if it's to the ends of the earth, I'll grind his bones to dust!"
Elian did not respond immediately. After carefully inspecting the battlefield, he said, "There's no trace of the unique demonic energy or malevolent aura left behind by demonic cultivators."
"The lifeblood and souls of the dead mortals haven't been extracted either. Instead, there's residual Daoist spiritual energy here. This doesn't seem like the work of a demonic cultivator but rather a righteous cultivator."
"A righteous cultivator?"
The old patriarch and Chen Qinghao exchanged a stunned glance.
"Impossible. How could a righteous cultivator commit such a monstrous act?"
"Regardless of whether they're righteous or demonic, their actions are indistinguishable from those of a demonic cultivator," Elian said coldly, a glint of frost in his eyes.
"Demonic cultivators are driven by profit. They wouldn't take such a risk without gaining something in return."
"The state of Pingling Town suggests more of a revenge killing—a desperate attempt to drag us down with them."
"Then who could it be?" Chen Qinghao's eyes grew icy with killing intent. "Could it be Lin Baixi from the Lin family, seeking revenge after you destroyed his cultivation path?"
Elian shook his head.
"The Lin family is too large and established; they wouldn't dare take such a reckless step."
As he spoke, he suddenly raised his head, exchanging a look with Chen Changxuan.
"Could it be…"
"Zuo Younian," the old patriarch said through gritted teeth, his tone certain.
Elian and Chen Qinghao's expressions turned grim, and they too arrived at the same conclusion. The Chen family had few mortal enemies, and among the living, only Old Demon Hong remained.
But aside from Old Demon Hong, there was one other sworn enemy: the Zuo clan of Feng County.
The Zuo clan had only two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi, both of whom had been slain by Elian and the old patriarch.
With no Foundation Establishment cultivators to protect them, the Zuo clan soon fell victim to a demonic calamity. It was said that Old Demon Hong, with help from a demonic cultivator hidden within the Zuo clan, breached their city's defensive formation.
For mortals, a breached city formation meant unimaginable carnage. Old Demon Hong, ever cruel, used the blood of over 100,000 Zuo clan mortals in a dark ritual to refine his Blood Demon Blade, his natal demonic artifact.
The event shocked everyone. Numerous families dispatched forces to hunt down Old Demon Hong. However, after refining the Blood Demon Blade, his power soared, and he managed to escape even as the immortal clans of Feng County pursued him.
It was said that even a Purple Mansion ancestor from Feng County personally pursued him for tens of thousands of miles but only managed to severely injure him, failing to kill him outright.
At the time, Elian and the old patriarch were campaigning against the demon wolves of Tianxu Mountain and only learned of the event upon their return.
They believed their feud with the Zuo clan had ended there. But later, they heard of another development: a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Zuo clan's "You" generation had survived and been raised in the Qingyang Sect.
This individual, Zuo Younian, was of a much higher seniority than Zuo Mingxu, the Zuo clan patriarch, and was over 180 years old. He was a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Qingyang Sect, with cultivation at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment.
Zuo Younian, who had reached Foundation Establishment with the Qingyang Sect's support, was forbidden from associating with the Zuo clan. As a result, Chen Changxuan did not consider him a member of the Zuo clan.
However, further investigation revealed that Zuo Younian was the youngest son of the Zuo clan's first ancestor and harbored deep affection for the Zuo clan. For the sake of appearances, he had avoided contact with them, but his ties were strong.
After the Zuo clan's destruction, this elderly cultivator, nearing the end of his lifespan, finally emerged. It was said that, after pleading with the Qingyang Sect's leaders, they allowed him to seek vengeance against the demonic cultivators.
"Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi were slain by us. The Zuo clan lost its Foundation Establishment cultivators and was blood-sacrificed by Old Demon Hong to create his Blood Demon Blade."
"It all makes sense now. Zuo Younian, at the end of his lifespan, has decided to drag us down with him."
The old patriarch closed his eyes in pain.
Although the Chen family had irreconcilable enmity with the Zuo clan, they hadn't wished to see over 100,000 Zuo clan mortals perish in such a horrific demonic calamity.
Zuo Younian, unable to find Old Demon Hong, had redirected his hatred toward the Chen family. In truth, his revenge wasn't misplaced.
"Zuo Younian must have already descended into madness," Elian sighed. "His lifespan is nearing its end. Fixated on our Chen family, he's determined to destroy us alongside him. This is likely just the beginning."
Chen Changxuan's gaze turned murderous.
"He dared to slaughter an entire Chen family town, killing all 8,000 of its inhabitants. This enmity is irreconcilable."
"Even if he's a member of the Qingyang Sect, we cannot let him live."
"For such a heinous crime, even the Qingyang Sect won't protect him," Chen Qinghao said. He then frowned.
"The problem is, how do we find him?"
Elian paused, then analyzed, "If he's seeking revenge, he won't stop. His target must be one of our three lifelines. Wait…"
His expression suddenly changed.
"No, it's a diversion!"
Before he could explain further, he hurriedly summoned the Fiery Void Sword, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot into the sky.
Chen Changxuan and the third elder realized the danger and quickly followed, their expressions grim as they raced to catch up.
Meanwhile, 6,000 miles away, an elderly man with white hair stood by the shores of Linghu Isle, his hands clasped behind him.
This man was none other than Zuo Younian. At this moment, he was no longer a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Qingyang Sect but the last patriarch of the Zuo clan.
"So, this is Linghu Isle."
His gaze pierced through the shimmering waters to survey the heart of Linghu Isle. His eyes were cold and lifeless.
"Among the Chen family's three lifelines—Qingyuan Mountain, Pingyang City, and Linghu Isle—destroying any one of them would be a devastating blow."
"Qingyuan Mountain has been fortified for centuries, brimming with formations and guarded by numerous cultivators. Without Purple Mansion-level strength, it's impossible to breach. Even if I went, it would be a suicide mission."
"Pingyang City has already been alerted. With Chen Changxuan there, there's no further opportunity."
"That leaves only Linghu Isle."
Muttering to himself, a flicker of light returned to his dead eyes.
Stepping into the air, his overwhelming killing intent stirred the heavens and earth.
"Because of your Chen family, 100,000 Zuo clan bloodlines died in anguish. Today, your family will pay the price."
"Kill!"
Zuo Younian charged toward Linghu Isle with boundless killing intent, quickly alarming Chen Changyan.
Despite being 118 years old, Chen Changyan's sharp instincts immediately detected the threat.
Before Zuo Younian could enter the heart of Linghu Isle, Chen Changyan activated the formation plate, urgently triggering the protective array in the nick of time.
...
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