The Yan Family Ancestor

Among the besieged Yan family cultivators, casualties erupted instantly.

A fifth layer Qi Condensation cultivator of the Yan family had his head bitten clean off by a vicious wraith.

Another Yan family cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation was torn in half at the waist by a feral corpse...

Witnessing his clansmen perish one by one, Yan Zhengping's eyes turned blood-red, a raging fury igniting within them.

Though he gnashed his teeth in hatred, he was utterly powerless. As the highest fighting force for the Yan family on this field, he was completely pinned down by Gui San and could not spare a single hand to rescue his kin.

In just over a quarter of an hour, nearly twenty Yan family cultivators had fallen. The majority were mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, but even three late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators had perished.

The remaining Yan family cultivators were almost all wounded, their spiritual power severely depleted.

Even Yan Zhengping, the family head, had been ambushed from behind while locked in combat with Gui San, losing a part of his lower leg.

The surviving Yan family cultivators were visibly teetering on the brink. It felt as though the rogue cultivators would break through their defenses at any moment and slaughter them to the last man.

"Everyone, press on! Combine your strength to eliminate these few late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators first. The rest won't be a threat!"

Seeing victory within his grasp, Gui San spoke with boundless arrogance.

Right at that moment, from the distant horizon of the swamp, a figure came riding the wind upon a flying sword.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator!

The newcomer's face was withered and ancient, bearing a decrepit appearance that made him look as though he might succumb to old age at any second.

Yet, at this very moment, an aura that looked down upon heaven and earth erupted from the old man's body. A powerful, imposing pressure, carrying a devouring rage, swept down to shroud the rogue cultivators below.

This old man was none other than the ancestor of the Yan family, Yan Tiangong.

Without a single word of nonsense, twelve foot-long black poison nails shot forth. They were swift as thunderbolts yet entirely soundless, like venomous serpents striking from the grass as they lunged toward their prey.

Vicious, sinister, and blindingly fast.

The twelve poison nails split their trajectories, each targeting a different rogue cultivator.

The moment Yan Tiangong appeared above the battlefield, everyone present sensed his overwhelming pressure.

The rogue cultivators were instantly struck with terror. Their audacity to attack the Yan family had stemmed entirely from believing Gui San's claims-that the Yan family ancestor's vital energy was depleted, that he had long lost his Foundation Establishment combat power, and even that he might already be dead.

Otherwise, they would never have dared to harbor designs against the Yan family.

Yet the Yan Tiangong before them looked nothing like the dying, decrepit old man Gui San had described. Instead, his cheeks were ruddy and his spirit was vigorous.

The rogue cultivators halted their attacks one after another, looking up at the elderly figure in the sky with terrified expressions. At the same time, they all resorted to their respective life-saving techniques to defend against the impending thunderous strike.

The poison nails were simply too fast. By the time they noticed them, the nails were already a mere two to three zhang away.

Perhaps Yan Tiangong truly was old and his strength had severely deteriorated, or perhaps attacking twelve late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators simultaneously was too much to manage effectively even for a Foundation Establishment master.

This full-power strike delivered in righteous fury only managed to kill three rogue cultivators and heavily injure four.

The remaining five either suffered minor scratches or blocked the attack completely unharmed.

In particular, the four ninth layer Qi Condensation cultivators were merely knocked back several zhang. They did not seem to have sustained significant damage, at least on the surface.

However, after blocking the poison nail, a middle-aged female cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation grew flushed as her blood qi surged turbulently. She had clearly suffered internal injuries.

The female cultivator recalled a shield floating before her-it was this very shield that had allowed her to withstand the poison nail just now.

Without hesitation, she darted into the dense forest, desperate to flee the area.

Like her, the other surviving rogue cultivators scattered like startled birds and beasts. None of them dared to trade blows with a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Yan Tiangong.

The four heavily injured rogue cultivators were much slower in their movements. Before they could flee, the Yan family cultivators recovered their footing and cut them down on the spot.

The twelve poison nails circled once in midair, regrouped, and struck again.

"Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!"

The speed of a Qi Condensation cultivator could ultimately never match the magical artifact of a Foundation Establishment master. Following several consecutive sounds of flesh being pierced, three rogue cultivators-including the middle-aged woman-perished.

Gui San exerted every ounce of his strength, barely managing to deflect a poison nail driving down at his head.

Yet, another poison nail came silently from behind, lunging straight for his heart.

By the time Gui San sensed the nail behind him, it was already too late to deploy a proper defense. He could only violently twist his torso, attempting to dodge the projectile.

But he was a fraction too slow. Though he avoided a fatal blow and preserved his life, the poison nail flashed past and took a section of his forearm with it.

"Ah!"

Gui San cried out in agony. Looking down at his severed arm, he saw blood gushing out-but it wasn't a healthy crimson. Instead, it was pitch-black.

He had been poisoned. The nails carried a potent venom. The flesh around his stump had already turned black and was rapidly spreading toward his shoulder.

A look of ruthless resolve flashed through Gui San's cold eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he brought his hand down like a blade, chopping off his arm at the shoulder.

The blackened limb fell away, and while blood continued to spray from the new wound, it was now a bright, vibrant red.

Gui San dared not linger for another second, fleeing into the depths of the dense forest at top speed.

Another late-stage Qi Condensation rogue cultivator was also struck by a poison nail, which pierced through his abdomen.

The venom spread rapidly through his body. In the blink of an eye, branching black veins crawled across half his torso.

This rogue cultivator hastily retrieved a pill and swallowed it. It was impossible to tell what kind of pill it was, but upon ingestion, the black veins stopped spreading and even showed faint signs of receding.

This cultivator likewise fled into the thick woods without looking back.

Watching the two figures disappear into the forest, Yan Zhengping's eyes blazed with killing intent, mixed with a trace of anxiety.

"Ancestor, why aren't we pursuing them? Are we truly going to just let them leave?"

Yan Tiangong shook his head. Controlling his body, he slowly descended and landed heavily upon the wreckage of the dismantled large ship.

His face suddenly turned deathly pale, and his towering aura abruptly collapsed into profound weakness.

"Ancestor, what is wrong?" Yan Zhengping cried out in a panic.

Yan Tiangong paid no heed to Yan Zhengping's alarm. He was simply too weak right now, possessing no energy left to offer a response.

Seeing this, a look of deep worry flooded Yan Zhengping's face as he leapt to Yan Tiangong's side.

He pulled out several pills from his robes and stuffed them into Yan Tiangong's mouth. Simultaneously, he mobilized what little spiritual power remained in his own body, transferring it into Yan Tiangong to help him refine the medicinal properties.

At the same time, Yan Zhengping turned to address his surviving clansmen.

"The ancestor is advanced in years. Forcing his spiritual power to this extent has taken a massive toll on his aged body. Though the powerful enemies have just retreated, none of you must lower your guard!"

Yan Zhengping looked toward his third brother, Yan Gao, and commanded, "Take a squad and pursue Gui San!"

He then turned to an eighth layer Qi Condensation cultivator of the family. "Yan Wu, take several late-stage clansmen and hunt down the other survivor."

"You must ensure both of them are killed. They have learned the secret of our Yan family. If they leak this knowledge to the outside world, I fear there will no longer be a place for the Yan family under heaven."

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2