The valley air was thick with fragrance, and some of the Xie family servants were still utterly bewildered by the situation, only noticing that the Patriarch, Xie Mingyuan, and several strangers were conversing high above them in the sky.

The true direct lineage of the Xie family had long since been sent away by Xie Mingyuan to travel elsewhere. Those remaining in the valley were not significant figures of the clan. Xie Mingyuan looked down at the valley, then glanced at Ji Changkong, Li Hentian, and Mu Luo, seemingly settling his mind.

"Ji Haotian? Hah! Long dead. All the damned ones are dead!" Xie Mingyuan laughed loudly, pointing at Li Hentian and roaring, "You killed my elder brother, destroyed the foundation of my Xie family, and now you come against me again. Even if I die today, my descendants will sooner or later avenge me!"

With the formidable strength of Li Hentian and Mu Luo, both at the Eighth-Level of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, and with the Tagan Three Brothers and Tuoba Lie nearby, Xie Mingyuan knew escape was impossible. He roared out, "Li Hentian, back then you slaughtered so many of us just for one girl! Her life was a life, but were the lives of those who died from our Three Sects and Two Families not lives?!"

Li Hentian's expression was indifferent, utterly unmoved by Xie Mingyuan's words, and he merely stared coldly at him.

"Changkong, I fear we won't get anything out of him. This fellow seems fully prepared to die," Tuoba Lie shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Kill him," Ji Changkong hesitated for a moment, then signaled the Tagan Three Brothers.

The Tagan Three Brothers retracted their net; the massive binding lines tightened, digging into Xie Mingyuan's flesh. As the three brothers pulled hard, Xie Mingyuan shrieked, his body ripped apart, spattering blood everywhere.

A scream of absolute terror suddenly echoed through the valley. Only then did the Xie family servants realize the malicious intent of the newcomers. Witnessing their once lofty Patriarch being killed so miserably, not a single one charged forward regardless of their lives; instead, they scattered and fled in all directions.

Mu Luo’s expression darkened, and he subtly gestured toward the Tagan Three Brothers.

Without a word or a glance back at the ruined corpse of Xie Mingyuan, which had fallen into the valley as chunks of flesh, the Tagan Three Brothers instantly split into three, preparing to surround and butcher the fleeing Xie servants throughout the valley.

"The servants... let them go," Ji Changkong shook his head.

Mu Luo raised a hand to signal a halt. The Tagan Three Brothers immediately stopped, watching the Xie servants flee wildly.

"Xie Mingyuan deserved to die," Li Hentian frowned, his expression calm. "Your father and mother were here back then, and Xie Mingyuan was involved in that massacre. He acted against your parents for the sake of the Xie family. It is only right that you kill him today for revenge. You need not feel guilty about anything."

"Let's go. Next target," Ji Changkong commanded, his face chillingly cold.

Just as Ji Changkong, Li Hentian, and the others departed, the sisters Yi Jia and Yi Rou arrived in a rush. By this time, the valley was filled with cries and chaos as everyone fled. The usually bustling valley had suddenly become desolate.

At first, the Xie servants feared that Li Hentian and his group were engaging in a general slaughter and fled for their lives. But when they realized Ji Changkong's party was only interested in eliminating Xie Mingyuan and had no interest in them, the servants rushed back into the valley, shouting and immediately beginning to loot the wealth left behind by the Xie family.

As one of the five major powers of Hidden Dragon Abyss, the Xie family was a relatively famous Heavenly Master cultivation sect. Although Xie Mingyuan had ensured the direct relatives took most of the clan’s spirit treasures when they left, some items remained in the valley. Not a single one of these servants felt any desire to avenge Xie Mingyuan; as soon as he was dead, they started scrambling for his possessions.

When Yi Jia and Yi Rou entered the valley, they saw only bloodstains and scattered limbs among a cluster of flowers in the center. The servants, who had appeared so loyal to the Xie family, were now frantically grabbing at the clan's fortune, and not one of them bothered to bury Xie Mingyuan's remains.

"Died so quickly," Yi Jia exclaimed, pouting, "It seems the vicinity of Hidden Dragon Abyss is facing an inevitable catastrophe. Li Hentian and Mu Luo are both Eighth-Level Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm experts, and Tuoba Lie and the Tagan Four are at the Stellar Transformation Heaven Realm. With that group... the Du family is in danger this time!"

"Sister, let's bury Xie Mingyuan’s body. We won't meddle in anything else," Yi Rou said softly, her heart softening.

"Mm, it's good to do what little we can. We'll head straight for the Du family afterward and ignore the other clans. Those people... I fear they are all doomed," Yi Jia’s expression dimmed as she sighed softly. "It really is troublesome when grudges build up between families and sects. Thankfully, our Yi family never offended these fierce figures."

Yi Jia and Yi Rou buried the dismembered remains of Xie Mingyuan in the valley. They glanced with disgust at the servants who were still fighting over the Xie family wealth, then quickly departed.

The Longhua Sect, the Tongyuan Sect, and the Xue Family suffered a similar catastrophe on the same day. The Sect Masters and Patriarchs of these three powers were all slain. Every Heavenly Master who had participated in the past massacre and moved against Li Hentian within the last month failed to escape the encirclement and slaughter by Li Hentian and Ji Changkong.

Although these three powers had their share of experts, they lacked a stabilizing presence at the Eighth-Level Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm. Facing the overwhelming strength of Li Hentian and Mu Luo, they were stripped of even the hope of escape, each one cut down within their own family compounds or sect halls.

Unlike Li Hentian's methods, Ji Changkong did not engage in a wholesale massacre. He spared outsiders in the two sects and one family, and even the younger brothers within their clans. He did not resort to exterminating every last trace, ignoring the deep-seated hatred visible in their eyes, only killing those who deserved death!

He understood clearly that showing mercy today might plant seeds of future trouble, but he was not afraid; he only sought a clear conscience.

Following their path of vengeance, they finally arrived at the last remaining force before the Du family: the Baiman Sect.

The Baiman Sect was situated closest to the Du family, nestled halfway up a spiritual mountain densely covered with peculiar, stone-like vegetation.

A breath of fresh, natural air wound around the mountainside. A row of emerald-green bamboo houses sat on the slope, with faint white mist drifting through them, making the place resemble a true fairyland.

"Master is not here. If you have business, you may tell me, and I will report it when Master returns," a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a vibrant green skirt, spoke up before Ji Changkong and the others could initiate conversation.

The girl's green attire blended harmoniously with the surrounding environment, giving off a sense of pristine beauty. The Sect Master of the Baiman Sect was a woman who loved bamboo, and most of the disciples she took on were also girls.

Standing before the line of bamboo houses, Ji Changkong surveyed the area briefly, then nodded with a smile. "May I ask where your Master is?"

"She was invited by the Old Matriarch of the Du family to be a guest there. She hasn't returned for several days," the girl replied casually, bowing slightly to invite them in. "Perhaps you gentlemen could have a cup of fine tea inside while waiting for Master? If you are truly in a hurry, you could also try looking for her at the Du family residence."

"Thank you for the offer, but we shall not impose," Ji Changkong politely declined, bowed, and turned to leave.

As soon as Ji Changkong's group departed, the girl's face shifted into an expression of alarm. She rushed towards one of the bamboo houses, bit her finger, and dripped several drops of blood onto a flower platter.

As the blood touched the platter, the mirror-smooth surface suddenly revealed a blurred figure.

"...Xiao Die, what is it?" the figure in the platter asked urgently.

"Master, some people came looking for you today. The elder with the gloomy face must be Li Hentian, whom you mentioned before. Besides him, there was a young man in his twenties, exceptionally handsome; he must be... he must be the Ji family remnant you spoke of," the girl reported.

"Who else besides those two?" the figure in the platter asked with increasing urgency.

"There was a burly man, bald, and a few others who looked like they were from the Western Regions. I told them Master was temporarily away, and they didn't press further. They probably headed to the Du family." The girl reported respectfully.

"Understood," the figure in the platter coldly commanded, murmuring, "They came. Good. I was just worried they wouldn't show up!"

As the words fell, the shadow in the platter vanished instantly, leaving only a small smear of dried blood.

"Changkong, that girl was peculiar," Tuoba Lie said with a frown after they left the Baiman Sect.

Ji Changkong smiled lightly and nodded gently. "That girl probably knew our identities. She must have been instructed by the Baiman Sect Master beforehand. Our group's arrival was clearly not friendly, yet she acted so naturally, without any rude words or shouting. She must have known the situation, understanding that we were far beyond her ability to challenge."

After his explanation, Li Hentian looked at him with a flicker of surprise, then nodded lightly. "Changkong, you are becoming more observant. Only by being meticulous and cautious in every detail can you maintain the upper hand in the years to come."

"That girl has likely already reported our visit to her Master. If the Baiman Sect Master is indeed at the Du family, I imagine the Du family has already begun preparations. Last time, even with the two elders of the Guiyuan Sect plus the Du family's Old Matriarch acting together, they couldn't stop you. I wonder if they've managed to arrange everything this quickly this time?" Ji Changkong sneered.

"We'll know when we get there," Li Hentian frowned, casting a distant glance toward the Du family's location before proceeding toward it at an unhurried pace.

At the Du family residence, Old Matriarch Zhang Yueqin sat face-to-face with Jing Xuerong, the Baiman Sect Master, in a secret chamber.

"Li Hentian has arrived." Jing Xuerong sat upright, her expression grave.

"He's finally back. Is that boy here?" Zhang Yueqin's face lit up with pleasant surprise, as if she had been waiting a long time.

"He should be," Jing Xuerong nodded, then sighed softly. "They didn't target the Du family first; they must have been sweeping through the outer forces one by one. I suspect the other families have already suffered disaster..."

"Xuerong, we have been sisters for years. I know you wish to see the Baiman Sect flourish. Once those other families are eliminated, you can choose two of their spiritual mountain territories. As long as Li Hentian and that boy die this time, from now on, this area of Hidden Dragon Abyss will belong only to our Du family and your Baiman Sect," Zhang Yueqin said with a beaming smile toward Jing Xuerong.

"Thank you for your generosity, elder sister," Jing Xuerong exclaimed in pleasant surprise and immediately expressed her thanks.