Yi Luo extended his left hand. He lightly pressed it against the layer of golden-yellow light shield. The withered woman’s… typical left hand, the fingers of Mu Luo suddenly clenched tight, and tendrils of eerie, dark green light spread and writhed across the golden-yellow shield like earthworms. In just a short while, the dark green light saturated the entire shield.

The golden-yellow light shield was now overlaid with streaks of dark green light, much like a smooth duck eggshell cracking, its surface appearing covered in fine fissures.

Mu Luo’s claw-like fingers suddenly exerted force—CRACK!

A crisp shattering sound echoed. The golden, yellow, and green halos collided, instantly filling the dim cavern with a blinding glare. Intense waves of energy surged outward from the shield, striking the nearby stone walls and boring fist-sized, circular holes through them.

Mu Luo broke through the shield with his left hand. His right hand spread flat, releasing an almost imperceptible ripple of strange fluctuation, enveloping Ji Changkong, Da Gan, and Da Ji, the three brothers. When the force erupting from the shield struck his right hand, the light instantly dimmed, as if an oil lamp had been extinguished by the wind.

“Who is it?” From the depths of the cavern emerged a robust, elderly man with a face scarred blue, his hands tucked into the long sleeves of his robe. His eyes, sharp with piercing light, suddenly fixed upon Mu Luo:

“Friend, from whence do you hail? What business brings you to my Tu family? If the Tu family has some grievance with a friend, please make it clear!” Tu Bajie, as the master of the Tu family, immediately discerned that Mu Luo, wearing an identical mask, was the most formidable of the intruders. The reason the Tu family had developed so rapidly over the years, aside from their possession of a treasure mountain, was precisely because Tu Bajie possessed exceptional acumen, knowing how to cultivate strong allies and not needlessly provoke powerful enemies they could not afford to confront.

Zhao Meilan had suffered such a great loss at Qingyan Mountain. Upon returning to the Ping family, Tu Bajie had not initiated any major retaliation because he understood that the Ping family's strength could not possibly withstand the backing of Chen Yihui, Tuoba Lie, and He Haoran. This was why he feigned ignorance of the matter and even sternly warned Zhao Meilan against rash action.

To endure and to tolerate—this was the quality befitting the head of a great clan!

Confirming that Mu Luo possessed the cultivation of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, Tu Bajie, who had been on the verge of a furious outburst, suddenly calmed down, intending to first ascertain the visitor's purpose before making any further plans.

“The Manichaean Cult never reveals its intentions openly!” Za Ji! Mu Luo’s voice seemed to emanate from the Nine Hells. Before the sound had fully faded, a powerful wave of chilling miasma erupted from him. Riding this surge of icy coldness, Mu Luo appeared before Tu Bajie as if teleporting, and a shroud of darkness instantly enveloped the elder.

“Go!” Ji Changkong’s voice was hoarse as he led the charge into the spacious stone chamber littered with rare treasures.

The brothers Da Gan and Da Ji followed without hesitation, slipping through the fractured golden-yellow light shield. Before Ji Changkong could issue further orders, Da Gan and Da Ji separated, immediately setting about gathering the scarce mineral blocks within the treasure ground.

“Insolent!” Tu Bajie, though completely engulfed in darkness, perceived the actions of Ji Changkong and the others. He roared in the darkness, and the rich, water-like Five Elements Metal Qi and Earth Qi within the chamber seemed to come alive. The Metal Qi formed countless handleless sharp swords, and the Earth Qi coalesced into earthen pillars, all launching toward the three intruders: Ji Changkong, Da Gan, and Da Ji.

Tu Bajie had been utilizing the Metal and Earth elemental essence in this treasure ground for years, advancing his cultivation. His mastery over manipulating the Five Elements Metal and Earth Qi had reached an exquisite degree. Mixed within the circulating Metal and Earth Qi were traces of Tu Bajie’s soul essence. At the slightest intention of his spirit, he could summon the surrounding Five Elements Qi to forge fierce attacks.

Ji Changkong, Da Gan, and Da Ji, who had been happily looting the rare stones, suddenly sensed the anomaly in the Heaven and Earth essence within the chamber. Da Gan and Da Ji immediately ceased their actions, gathering beside Ji Changkong. They simultaneously spread their hands wide, deploying their artifacts to intercept the attacks formed by the condensed Metal and Earth essence.

The two brothers, Da Gan and Da Ji, were acutely aware of their mission. Since leaving the Central Shrine, Mu Luo had repeatedly impressed upon them: the Cult Master’s life is paramount above all else!

Da Gan and Da Ji unfolded their artifacts. Where the threads met, tiny constellations began to appear, and the two strange artifacts connected seamlessly, shining with a brilliant, dazzling light. When the swords formed from the Five Elements Metal Qi and the earthen pillars formed from Earth Qi struck, they were instantly diffused upon entering the artifacts, reverting to pure Heaven and Earth Metal and Earth essence that flowed out through the openings.

Tu Bajie was being pushed back relentlessly by Mu Luo and could not dedicate his entire focus to dealing with Da Gan and Da Ji. The Heaven and Earth Metal and Earth Qi in the stone chamber only carried a small fraction of Tu Bajie’s spiritual remnant energy, insufficient to form a devastating offensive. It could not break through the defensive circle formed by the combined might of Da Gan and Da Ji.

While protected within the sphere of the two brothers, Ji Changkong bent low, sweeping his large hands across the glittering floor. Pieces of Black Iron and Mithril vanished into his palm. The Golden Yuan Crystals and Earth Yuan Crystals hovering above his head had already dropped into his Mustard Seed Pouch the instant Mu Luo enveloped Tu Bajie in darkness.

Without even glancing at Tu Bajie, and ignoring the attacks formed by the Metal and Earth Qi in the chamber, he concentrated solely on collecting the exotic metals necessary for refining divine weapons from the ground. As he moved through the chamber, the rare stones nurtured by this place for hundreds of years rapidly disappeared into his Mustard Seed Pouch.

A wisp of blood mist suddenly manifested stubbornly within the darkness. A thick scent of gore permeated the chamber. The previously stable and normal Five Elements Metal and Earth Qi underwent a drastic transformation due to the appearance of this blood mist. The Metal Qi swords formed by Tu Bajie’s soul essence suddenly gained streaks of vivid crimson.

The swords erupted with soaring sword intent, blasting out brilliant white light laced with faint traces of blood. The previously ordinary blades became impossibly sharp, and when they struck the artifacts held by Da Gan and Da Ji, they were no longer diffused; instead, they struggled fiercely within the brothers’ defenses.

Metal Qi swords filled the chamber, and as blade after blade, carrying astonishing, sharp brilliance, pierced into the artifacts, sweat involuntarily beaded on the foreheads of Da Gan and Da Ji. The two brothers stood in an attitude of extreme vigilance, suddenly resolved to protect Ji Changkong even at the cost of their lives.

The pressure in the chamber doubled!

It wasn't just Da Gan and Da Ji; even Mu Luo, engaged with Tu Bajie, suddenly sensed something amiss and hissed darkly: “Go!”

“Go!” Ji Changkong repeated the command, swiftly darting toward the breached opening of the cave.

Since that layer of golden-yellow light shield had been shattered by Li Hentian, the Five Elements Metal and Earth essence in the chamber had been continuously flowing outward. However, after Tu Bajie’s blood mist suddenly appeared, the Metal and Earth essence near the opening not only ceased to flow out but the essence that had already escaped began surging back in.

The situation in the stone chamber had become bizarre. Tu Bajie’s strength surged, putting even Mu Luo under pressure, leaving him no leisure to attend to the three men.

Though constantly busy collecting the rare stones in the chamber, Ji Changkong’s divine sense remained fixed on Tu Bajie. Just moments ago, he clearly felt Tu Bajie’s vital energy abruptly merge with the vast Metal and Earth essence of the chamber. The flow rate of the energy within Tu Bajie’s body instantly tripled!

Even without clearly seeing what Tu Bajie had done, Ji Changkong knew that the current Tu Bajie was exceptionally difficult to contend with. The collection of rare stones in the chamber was nearly complete; the objective of this expedition had been achieved. There was no need to fight Tu Bajie to the death within the chamber—and so, he retreated.

After Mu Luo’s sharp shout, he began to fully engage the nearly frenzied Tu Bajie, firmly blocking the stone chamber entrance to secure sufficient time for Ji Changkong, Da Gan, and Da Ji to withdraw.

Only after Mu Luo saw the three men vanish into the cave did a glimmer of actual, physical light flash in his eyes.

With no reservations, Mu Luo let out a ghastly, eerie laugh like a vengeful spirit. Streaks of dark green light emerged from his body, coiling and twisting like long snakes within the chamber. These snake-like beams of dark light struck the stone walls, causing earth-shattering explosions. Rocks tumbled down, and the chamber shuddered violently as if on the verge of collapse.

Mu Luo, positioned at the center of the chamber, appeared like a massive sea creature with dozens of tentacles. These dark green rays shot out wildly, once again forcefully suppressing Tu Bajie’s momentum!

“Hmph, barely having entered the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, yet you dare act so presumptuously before me!” Mu Luo sneered. The dark green light extending from his body suddenly retracted with a swoosh back into his core. Just as Tu Bajie was about to lose control, Mu Luo faded slowly within the chamber like a lingering ghost until he vanished entirely.

After some time, Tu Bajie staggered out of the cave entrance, gasping, his face covered in grey dust. The little finger on Tu Bajie’s left hand was broken, and a sickly blood mist seeped from the severed joint, forming a faint cloud of crimson vapor.

“Manichaean Cult! Manichaean Cult!” Tu Bajie looked upon his ravaged family treasure ground, gnashing his teeth as he roared toward the sky in fury.

The rare stones nurtured by this treasure ground for years—Tu Bajie had been reluctant to use them even on his own kin. Only those sons and grandsons who had made outstanding contributions to the Ping family, after rigorous vetting by him, would be granted one or two strange artifacts formed by the Gold and Earth essence within the chamber. He had been frugal for so long to ensure a steady stream, allowing the Tu family to maintain its strength indefinitely through this treasure ground.

To think that the rare treasures nurtured over many years were plundered wholesale, with eight-tenths gone! The most precious Golden Yuan Crystals and Earth Yuan Crystals were completely wiped out!

Muttering to himself, Tu Bajie’s gaze grew colder, and the venomous resentment on his face deepened.

Southeast corner of Jintie Mountain, within a stone forest formed by the evolving terrain.

Ji Changkong, Da Gan, Da Ji, and Ayiguli watched Jintie Mountain from a distance. The deafening roar gradually subsided. Ji Changkong lightly touched his Mustard Seed Pouch, using his divine sense to examine the rare stones within.

He had to admit that robbing one's enemies brought a unique delight, especially when the victim was an old adversary!

As his spirit swept through the contents of the pouch, the smile on his face widened. The thought that the treasures nurtured by the Tu family ground for years had become his spoils filled him with glee. The Tu family, which had once treated his aunt, Ji Wanyun, with malice—to have secretly inflicted such a loss upon them now… this feeling was truly wonderful!

Suddenly, a faint fluctuation appeared within the stone forest. Right beside Ayiguli, the air rippled, forming an indistinct shadow.

Under Ji Changkong’s gaze, the blurry shadow gradually sharpened, transforming into Mu Luo.

“Impressive! Without even having the subsequent developments, you can still cultivate the ‘Faint Shadow of the Ghostly Pursuit’ to this level. Truly worthy of being the Divine Cult’s number one God of Slaughter!” Ji Changkong praised sincerely.

“Cult Master, let us depart. Tu Bajie dares not leave the stone chamber,” Mu Luo said calmly, glancing back at Jintie Mountain. “Tu Bajie will have to rename himself Ping Qizhi. He cultivates a peculiar secret technique: severing one finger can instantly boost his power. When he saw us about to take all the rare stones from the chamber just now, he finally resorted to that secret technique, self-mutilating his left little finger to enhance his strength, which forced you all out of the chamber!”

“Teacher, severing one finger only lasts for a short time. Shall we go back in and combine forces to kill Ping Bajie?” Ayiguli, who hadn't entered the chamber, expressed some regret and suddenly proposed.

“No need to invite further complications. He cut off one finger, but doesn’t he still have seven?” Ji Changkong shook his head, dismissing Ayiguli’s suggestion. He frowned, “After severing his finger, Tu Bajie’s own strength increased rapidly, and within that stone chamber, he can integrate the Five Elements Metal and Earth essence into his body. The longer the fight lasts in that room, the more advantageous it becomes for him—otherwise, why wouldn't he dare chase us out!”

“The Cult Master sees through everything; your subordinate admires your insight!” Mu Luo bowed respectfully. “The Cult Master is absolutely correct. Fighting within that chamber, the longer the battle drags on, the stronger his combat power becomes! After all, he cultivated there for so many years; the dense Metal and Earth essence has long resonated with him. If not for that reason, I would have fought even at the cost of injury to eliminate him just now!”

“Let him be; let him busy himself,” Ji Changkong smiled. “The Manichaean Cult has committed many evil deeds in the Central Lands recently; it’s good for us to stir up another enemy for them.” He continued, “Even if the Tu family ever discovers I was responsible, it doesn't matter. I’ve been waiting for them to seek revenge. That way, I’ll have an excuse to wipe out those who mistreated my aunt in one fell swoop.”

“Cult Master, what should we do next?” Mu Luo inquired.

“Return to Blood Rain Mountain. It’s been too long since we left home; it’s time to check in. Sister Hui mentioned the Blood Rain Mountain Sect Grand Gathering is about to begin. My Ji family is now considered part of Blood Rain Mountain, and I must secure sufficient benefits for the Ji family at the Gathering!” He put the Mustard Seed Pouch away, knowing that its contents were the key to enhancing the Ji family’s strength.

Blood Rain Mountain, Xuanyuan Valley.

This was originally a nameless valley. The Heaven and Earth spiritual energy within was mediocre, nor did it yield many spiritual herbs or flowers beneficial for cultivation. Before the Ji family arrived, there were no mines either. The valley had remained desolate for years, rarely frequented by the Heavenly Scholars of Blood Rain Mountain.

After the Ji family relocated from Qingyan Mountain, the valley gradually gained vitality. Some flowers and grasses were planted within, and the air became noticeably fresher and more natural. However, due to its innate deficiency, the flora planted here could only purify the air; they fell far short of becoming spiritual herbs useful for Heavenly Scholars’ cultivation.

The seeds of exotic flowers and grasses that Ji Changkong had acquired near the Poison Dragon Swamp long ago had mostly withered and died shortly after being planted in the valley, unable to take root.

Eventually, the women in the Ji family who enjoyed planting gave up hope, ceasing their futile efforts.

After discussions between Ji Yuxing and Ji Yunsheng, they named this nameless valley "Xuanyuan Valley." The two characters for Xuanyuan (Xuan Yuan) were chosen as a homophone for "Xuan Ji" (Xuan Ji), reflecting that even in their current fallen state, Ji Yuxing and Ji Yunsheng had not forgotten the Ji family's past glory.

They had considered naming the valley "Xuanyuan Valley" (using the characters for the legendary Yellow Emperor), but the valley's spiritual energy was too scarce. Since the Ji family had not flourished for many years, even with their thick skin, they could not bear to call it "Xuanyuan Valley." They had to settle for the homophonic substitution.

In Xuanyuan Valley, within an elegant bamboo building leaning against the mountainside, a pillar of fiery red light suddenly shot skyward. The phantom image of the Sacred Beast Vermilion Bird danced gracefully, with flames drifting from its form, fluttering merrily above the bamboo structure.

Ji Yuxing and Ji Yunsheng, deeper within the valley, were discussing the Blood Rain Mountain Sect Grand Gathering. Seeing the phantom of the Sacred Beast Vermilion Bird manifest from the bamboo building ahead, both men emerged from the depths of the valley, their faces alight with surprise and excitement, arriving before the structure.

Direct and collateral members of the Ji family also emerged from their stone caves, bamboo houses, and wooden huts, pointing and discussing excitedly.

“That’s Wanyun’s bamboo building! The Sacred Beast Vermilion Bird manifesting, covered in dancing flames—this is a sign of the Sacred Beast Vermilion Bird merging with the Five Elements Fire Essence!” a collateral lady of the Ji family exclaimed with clear envy.

“Yes! Aunt Wanyun cultivates Fire Essence in the Five Elements Heaven realm. This appearance of the Sacred Beast Vermilion Bird means her Five Elements Heaven realm is truly stabilized! Amazing!” A plump young girl, her face flushed with excitement, declared. “Aunt Wanyun broke through to the Five Elements Heaven realm two months ago, and now she has stabilized her core realm so quickly—it’s incredible!”

“You don’t know? My mother said Aunt Wanyun’s rapid progress is all because Brother Changkong sent her many spiritual treasures for cultivation…” A boy, perhaps only thirteen or fourteen, explained slyly. “Think about it—Aunt Wanyun hadn’t improved for so long after returning to the Ji family, but she’s had successive breakthroughs recently. Isn't that strange?” At the young boy’s observation, the surrounding Ji family members nodded in agreement. They had all heard of Ji Wanyun’s good fortune. Sometime ago, a person claiming to be from the Duan family came, specifically asking for Ji Wanyun and handing her a large parcel. Upon receiving it, Ji Wanyun had softly exclaimed, “Changkong,” and wept tears of joy. Many people witnessed this. Since then, Ji Wanyun’s progress had been swift, breaking through from the peak of the Four Symbols Heaven realm to the Five Elements Heaven realm. Now, two months later, she had broken through again.

“See? Do you understand now the great effect Heaven and Earth spiritual treasures have on cultivation?” Luo Shi said sternly to the children beside her.

“Mother, of course we understand! If only you had treated Brother Changkong better back then, maybe you could have gotten a share too!” Ji Xiaolian chirped with a carefree laugh, playfully teasing her mother, Luo Shi. Her two elder brothers, Ji Changxiao and Ji Changsheng, could only sigh wryly in response.

“Who could have known he would rise so quickly?” Luo Shi sighed mournfully, patting Ji Xiaolian’s shoulder and gently instructing her, “Xiaolian, besides Third Grand-uncle and Wanyun, you have the best relationship with him. And he seems to dote on you. The future of the Ji family will likely depend on his favor, so you should stick close to him in the future; it will benefit you greatly.” Ji Changxiao and Ji Changsheng both nodded in agreement. Ji Changsheng affectionately stroked his little sister’s head and said with a smile, “Xiaolian, your brothers don’t expect him to forgive us, nor do we hope to gain any benefits from him, but you possess extraordinary talent, and he favors you greatly. You really should listen to Mother’s advice.”

“Mother, brothers, Brother Changkong is not that petty!” Ji Xiaolian huffed. “If you hadn’t treated him so maliciously before, Brother Changkong certainly wouldn’t have forgotten you when good things happened. Even now, Brother Changkong hasn’t spoken ill of us, has he? Don't worry. Brother Changkong won't deliberately make things difficult for us, even if he returns to the Ji family.”

“After all the wrongs we committed, can he truly forgive us?” Luo Shi’s mouth was bitter as she shook her head and sighed softly.

“Don’t worry, Changkong is not petty. Sister-in-law, please set your minds at ease.” Suddenly, the window on the second floor of the bamboo building slid open. Ji Wanyun stood there, smiling at Luo Shi.

“Wanyun, it was my fault before, Sister-in-law… I…” Luo Shi felt guilty and hesitant to face Ji Wanyun, lowering her head as she prepared to leave.

“We are all family now; stop saying who owes whom!” Ji Yunsheng walked over and gently chided Luo Shi. “No matter how much Changkong stirs up trouble, he is still one of our Ji family! If the boy truly returns and dares to be rude to his own family, I will be the first to deal with him!”

“Third Uncle…” Luo Shi lowered her head and softly called out "Third Uncle" three times with sincerity.

Waving a hand, Ji Yunsheng looked serious. “There’s no need to say more; we are all family, and no knot cannot be untied!” Luo Shi was deeply moved and nodded repeatedly.

The Sect Grand Assembly is about to commence. Our Ji Clan is already lacking in strength; we must remain united. Fight for every single advantage for the family! Ji Yuxing called out loudly, "The Sect Grand Assembly measures true power. Everyone must strive together to contribute to the rise of our clan!"

"Father," Ji Haohong sighed, his face etched with bitterness, "we lack sufficient Yuan Stones for cultivation. The spiritual energy here is so sparse. Our innate conditions are simply insufficient."

Ji Yuxing's expression soured, and his heart lost its footing. He could only offer broad words of comfort: "As long as we put forth our utmost effort, even without blessed cultivation grounds or the aid of Spirit Stones, we can still become strong." Even as he spoke these words, he felt a distinct lack of conviction. The living example of Ji Wanyun, right there within the bamboo pavilion, stood as stark proof that possessing ample spiritual energy, Yuan Stones, and spiritual treasures made advancement exponentially easier. Ji Yuxing sighed inwardly, filled with regret.