Nightfall, at a waystation.
"Husband, now that Daoist Master Tianfeng has passed away, no one can stop us from taking over the Ye family's assets," Chen Xiaoxiao murmured softly, leaning against the Jin family's Young Master.
"Hahaha! That Ye Xuezhang has always irked me. I'll not only seize his assets but make him kneel before me like a dog serving its Master!"
Bang!
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and an old woman entered the room.
Startled, both the Jin family Young Master and Chen Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "Who are you?"
The old woman smirked coldly. "You're not qualified to know."
With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a powerful palm strike.
The strike brought forth a chilling wind filled with ghostly wails and eerie cries, as if countless vengeful spirits were lamenting.
In an instant, the Jin family Young Master's blood froze, and he perished on the spot.
Chen Xiaoxiao, however, was left alive.
But sometimes, living is more painful than dying.
The old woman approached Chen Xiaoxiao, pressing a finger to her acupoint, sealing her movements.
"The Cult Leader ordered that your death should not come so easily."
With that, the old woman slung Chen Xiaoxiao over her shoulder and disappeared into the night.
The following morning, Chen Xiaoxiao's body was discovered in the forest at Jiulipo, just outside the city.
Her skin and flesh had been meticulously flayed, leaving only her distorted face intact.
Soon after, the Jin family in Yuzhou City met a similar fate, wiped out to the last member.
All 327 people, from top to bottom, were killed. Their deaths mirrored that of the Jin family Young Master, with their blood frozen solid.
For a time, the martial world across Cangxi, Fengyang, and Yuzhou was thrown into upheaval.
Speculations ran rampant about which formidable expert had committed such heinous acts in the region.
Meanwhile, Ye Xuezhang and Zhang Xiaoyu were traveling toward Zhongzhou Prefecture.
For two days, they hadn't encountered a single attack, as if the Huntian Sect had vanished entirely.
"Xiaoyu, do you think something has happened to the Huntian Sect?"
Zhang Xiaoyu replied, "Unlikely."
Ye Xuezhang nodded. "Then why haven't they shown up yet?"
"They may be lying in wait near Zhongzhou Prefecture, planning to ambush us during the final stretch," Zhang Xiaoyu speculated.
"Smart!"
Zhang Xiaoyu was indeed sharp, even sharper than Ye Xuezhang had expected.
It was hard to believe such wisdom came from an eight-year-old girl.
Zhang Xiaoyu grinned. "If they're lying in wait near Zhongzhou Prefecture, it has both advantages and disadvantages for us."
"Oh? Explain the pros and cons."
"The advantage is that Zhongzhou Prefecture is the Zhang family's territory. We'll have the chance to seek support from the family."
"The disadvantage is equally obvious. If the Huntian Sect is lying in ambush, they'll surely gather all their forces!"
"We might not even have the chance to call for reinforcements before they kill us."
Ye Xuezhang gave her an approving look and chuckled. "What have you been fed to be this shrewd?"
"None of your business!" Zhang Xiaoyu rolled her eyes.
Traveling with Zhang Xiaoyu came with another benefit—Ye Xuezhang gained a wealth of knowledge about the martial world from her.
For example, he only learned about the Qilin Pavilion and its ranking of martial world lists after meeting Zhang Xiaoyu.
After several days of travel, the two decided to find a secluded spot to rest and recover their depleted True Qi.
Once they regained their strength, they planned to charge straight into Zhongzhou Prefecture in one go.
During this downtime, Ye Xuezhang swallowed the fifth-tier elixir he had received.
In the mountain hollow, Ye Xuezhang's body radiated spiritual energy, forming colorful ribbons around him as he sat cross-legged, unmoving.
He entered a profound, mysterious state.
A boundless blue ocean stretched before him.
Nine mountain peaks undulated in the distance.
The sun and moon hung in the sky, with the yin-yang energies swirling together.
Above the heavens, an infinite star map shimmered brilliantly.
Ye Xuezhang stood on the surface of the ocean, absorbing the essence of the world.
His body was cleansed, his impurities washed away, as he ascended to a higher realm.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Ye Xuezhang slowly opened his eyes.
Opposite him, Zhang Xiaoyu sat staring at him intently.
"Ye Xuezhang, what kind of martial art are you practicing?
Why does it cause spiritual energy to circulate around you and even emit the faint sound of dragons roaring and tigers growling?"
Ye Xuezhang smiled faintly but didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and said, "Let's go."
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