Volume 1, Chapter 211 – The Liu Family Bears the Brunt

At the same time, outside the Liu family estate in Qingyang City.

The clan-protecting grand formation personally laid down by the ancestor of the Great Yan Dynasty was already on the verge of collapse beneath Bloodfiend Old Demon’s relentless bombardment.

Its light had dimmed almost completely, and its surface was covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

Every attack sent the light barrier into violent shudders, making even the ground throughout the estate tremble faintly.

Inside the estate, in the front courtyard plaza.

Liu Beichuan was channeling his spiritual power into the earth-rank mid-grade Profound Light Mirror in his hand, struggling to withstand the attacks with the formation’s support.

The strain was far greater than he had imagined.

If the mirror had not been an earth-rank artifact, given his cultivation, he probably would not have been able to withstand even a single attack.

“Big Brother!”

Liu Beihai looked at Liu Beichuan’s pale face at the front of the formation, his eyes filled with worry.

“If you keep holding on, you’ll…”

He did not finish.

But Liu Beichuan understood that if he continued, even if he survived today, he would be crippled.

He stared at the black-robed figure standing in midair, baleful energy surging from him like a storm, and gritted his teeth.

“Even if we can’t hold out, we have to! Ruyan… Ruyan will definitely come!”

He was saying this both for the clansmen to hear and to encourage himself.

Yet deep in his heart, despair was spreading.

Middle-stage Spirit Transformation… An expert of this level was far beyond anything he could currently oppose.

Even with an earth-rank artifact in his possession, the gap in cultivation realms was simply too great!

Although Ruyan had entered Yaochi Immortal Palace and become Her Majesty the Empress’s disciple, she was still only at the Golden Core stage, after all! That was what he believed.

Then he thought of his daughter’s Master, but he immediately dismissed the thought.

How could someone of that stature possibly care about ants like them?

Just as Liu Beichuan’s thoughts raced, Bloodfiend Old Demon seemed to have grown impatient outside the light barrier. His hoarse voice slowly rang out.

“I’ll give you one final chance. Withdraw the formation, hand over all your resources, and kneel to beg for mercy. Perhaps I’ll spare the women and children of the Liu family.”

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“Otherwise, once I break through the formation and enter… I’ll leave not even a chicken or dog alive!”

Those last four words were like a cold wind from the Nine Hells, making every member of the Liu family feel as though they had fallen into an icy abyss.

Some of the younger children in the clan had already begun sobbing softly. The women clutched their children tightly, their faces deathly pale and their eyes filled with despair.

Liu Beichuan paid no attention to his threat.

He drew a deep breath and poured the last of his spiritual power into the Profound Light Mirror. The light on its surface brightened several shades, temporarily stabilizing the formation that was on the verge of shattering.

“Sir!”

Liu Beichuan’s voice was somewhat hoarse, but his resolve was unmistakable.

“My Liu family has stood in Qingyang City for several hundred years. We may not be a major clan, but we have never once bent our backs!”

“Even if our clan is annihilated and every one of us dies today, we will never kneel and beg for mercy!”

“You want the Liu family’s resources? Fine. But you’ll have to step over my corpse first!”

“Good! Good! Good!”

Bloodfiend Old Demon laughed instead of growing angry, repeating the word three times. Yet his laughter was filled with killing intent.

“Since the Liu family is so unyielding, then I’ll grant you all your wish today!”

Before his voice faded, he abruptly raised the blood-colored banner in his hand toward the heavens.

“Ten Thousand Souls Banner, break it for me!”

Blinding red light suddenly erupted from the banner!

Countless twisted, wailing phantoms surged from its surface and slammed into the swaying clan-protecting grand formation.

“Boom!!!”

This impact far surpassed any of the previous attacks!

The pale-blue light barrier was like glass struck by a heavy hammer. It let out a strained, mournful cry as the cracks across its surface instantly widened and spread across the entire barrier!

“Pfft!”

Liu Beichuan suffered a heavy blow and violently spat out a large mouthful of blood. The Profound Light Mirror in his hand instantly dimmed as it lost the support of his spiritual power.

He staggered backward, and Liu Beihai hurriedly caught him.

The clan-protecting grand formation finally shattered completely!

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Countless points of light fell like rain from the sky, illuminating the sudden cruelty and greed in the eyes of the black-clad figures outside the estate.

“The formation is broken! Kill!”

Someone shouted first. The hundred-odd shadows gathered outside the estate surged in like starving wolves that had caught the scent of blood!

The gleam of blades and swords and the radiance of spells instantly lit up the Liu family’s front courtyard.

“Liu family disciples, follow me and meet the enemy! Protect the women and children!”

Liu Beihai’s eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his injuries, he charged forward first!

Several clan elders also used their own methods to meet the oncoming black-clad men.

However, the disparity between the two sides was simply too great.

On the Liu family’s side, Liu Beichuan was at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul stage, while Liu Beihai had only barely broken through to the Nascent Soul stage with the medicinal pills Liu Ruyan had sent back.

The remaining clan elders were all merely at the middle or late stage of the Golden Core stage.

As for the enemy, there were three Nascent Soul cultivators alone, more than twenty Golden Core cultivators, and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators!

The instant they came into contact, the Liu family fell into an absolute disadvantage.

Liu Beihai was entangled by a black-clad Nascent Soul cultivator and found himself in constant peril.

One clan elder at the late stage of the Golden Core stage was surrounded and attacked by three black-clad men of the same realm.

After only a few exchanges, one of them severed his arm with a single slash. He flew backward with a scream, his life or death unknown.

Screams, the clash of weapons, and the explosive roar of spells instantly rang throughout the Liu family estate.

Blood began to stain the bluestone ground red.

The women and children were protected at the rear. As they watched the chaos before them, all of them were deathly pale and trembling with fear.

Liu Ruyan’s mother, Madam Wang, clutched a young niece tightly in her arms as she watched her husband, Liu Beichuan, fight desperately at the front.

As she watched the clansmen fall one after another, tears had long since blurred her vision.

The communication jade slip in her hand had already lost its effect, yet she nearly crushed it in her grip.

Was it over?

Was the Liu family… truly going to be destroyed?

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At this moment of utmost despair—

“Brother Beichuan! Everyone of the Liu family, I, Zhao, have come too late!”

A clear yet anxious voice exploded outside the Liu family estate like a clap of thunder!

Immediately afterward, dozens of figures shot into the battle like arrows loosed from a bow!

The man at the head wore a blue brocade robe. His features were refined and scholarly, but his face was now filled with fury, and he held a long blue sword in his hand.

He was none other than Zhao Yang, the family head of the Zhao family, one of the three great families of Qingyang City, and the father of Zhao Ling’er!

Behind him followed the Zhao family’s elite cultivators, including two elders at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage whom he had urgently summoned back.

“Brother Zhao?!”

Liu Beihai forced back the enemy before him with a sword strike. When he saw who had arrived, surprise and delight filled his face.

Zhao Yang slew a black-clad Foundation Establishment cultivator who was charging toward the Liu family’s women and children with a single stroke of his sword.

He hurried to Liu Beichuan’s side. When he saw Liu Beichuan’s miserable condition, his expression grew even grimmer.

“Brother Liu, hold on!”

He quickly took out a medicinal pill and slipped it into Liu Beichuan’s mouth, then ordered one of the Zhao family elders behind him:

“Second Elder, heal Brother Liu!”

“Brother Zhao… you… why did you come?”

After swallowing the pill, Liu Beichuan managed to catch his breath. He was both moved and anxious.

“This is too dangerous. Take your people and leave at once! Don’t let yourselves get dragged into this!”

“What are you saying, Brother Beichuan?”

Zhao Yang stood with his sword held horizontally, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings as blazing fury burned in his eyes.

“The three great families of Qingyang City stand together through thick and thin!”

“The Liu family has suffered such a disaster today. If my Zhao family stood by and did nothing, what face would we have left to remain in Qingyang City?”

He paused. His voice dropped lower, but his resolve became even more unshakable.

“Besides, Ling’er and Ruyan are fellow disciples with a deep bond between them. As her father, how could I let her down?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead with his sword and charged toward a Nascent Soul cultivator.

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With the addition of dozens of fresh Zhao family reinforcements, especially the strength of three Nascent Soul cultivators, the Liu family’s precarious situation was finally stabilized somewhat.

However, high in the sky, the figure who resembled a demon god let out a contemptuous laugh.

“Heh… the Zhao family? I nearly forgot about you.”

Bloodfiend Old Demon stood in midair, the blood-colored banner drifting slowly beside him as he looked down at the ants fighting below.

“Since you’ve come, then stay here with them. As it happens, my Ten Thousand Souls Banner is still short a few Nascent Soul primary souls!”

His figure blurred, and he pounced straight toward the Zhao family’s Second Elder, who was healing Liu Beichuan!

The pressure of a middle-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator was released without reserve, descending like a mountain!

The Zhao family’s Second Elder’s expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly interrupted the healing, summoned a shield artifact, and raised it before him.

Liu Beichuan also forcibly gathered the last of his spiritual power and once again activated the Profound Light Mirror!

“An insect trying to stop a chariot!”

Bloodfiend Old Demon grinned viciously and swung the blood-colored banner again!

“Boom!”

The shield artifact held for only an instant before shattering with a thunderous crash!

The Zhao family’s Second Elder spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.

The beam of light fired from the Profound Light Mirror was also easily swept aside by the blood-colored banner, sending the mirror tumbling to the side.

Bloodfiend Old Demon’s target was clearly the heavily wounded Liu Beichuan!

“Big Brother!”

“Brother Beichuan!”

Liu Beihai, Zhao Yang, and the others tried to rush to his aid, but their respective opponents held them fast.

All they could do was watch helplessly as the life-taking banner thrust toward Liu Beichuan’s body!

At this critical moment—