CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 248: EYES SPLITTING WITH RAGE!

"I’ve heard it was Fellow Daoist Yang leading people to my Zhou Family; this old man feels both disappointed and relieved!"

"Fellow Daoist Yang and this old man have been acquainted for over a hundred years. Although we’re on different sides now, I believe our friendship still exists."

"I am now two hundred and thirty-five years old, with little remaining lifespan. At this age, even if I were to take a couple of fellow daoists with me to the Netherworld, I wouldn’t be lonely on the road to the Yellow Springs!"

"It’s just that, although I can die, I worry that you fellow daoists might take it out on the innocent mortals of the Zhou Family due to my actions of perishing together. After much thought, I’ve decided to end myself, to preserve the achievements of you fellow daoists!"

"I sincerely hope that Fellow Daoist Yang and you fellow daoists, in light of Zhou Minghan’s sincerity, adhere to the rules of war among us cultivators and do not harm ordinary mortals."

"If Fellow Daoist Yang can consider our past friendship and not destroy the ancestral shrine and burial ground of the Zhou Family, nor the Spirit Mountain of Jade Spring Peak, Zhou Minghan will forever remember your kindness, even in death!"

At the summit of Jade Spring Peak, after Yang Xingyan activated the Memory Pearl held by Zhou Minghan, he saw Zhou Minghan standing at the peak, looking toward the direction of Baisha River Oasis, recording these words.

After listening to Zhou Minghan’s recorded words, and seeing Zhou Minghan’s earnest expression in the image, he murmured with a face full of emotion, "Brother Ming Han is of high integrity; I, Yang, am ashamed, truly ashamed!"

After speaking, he glanced over the nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators accompanying him and asked in a deep voice, "You all heard Zhou Minghan’s final words; what are your thoughts?"

The nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators looked at each other upon hearing this, but no one answered.

Seeing this, Yang Xingyan frowned and suddenly looked at the white-haired old man who previously mentioned Zhou Minghan had no life signs and directly asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, do you think we should fulfill Zhou Minghan’s last wishes?"

The old man named Zhang, hearing his name directly called out, showed a slightly displeased expression and couldn’t help but say, "Fellow Daoist Yang, you have the highest cultivation level and were appointed as the leader by Elder Luo; it should be your decision to make."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xingyan deeply looked at the old man named Zhang and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators and asked, "Will you all definitely follow my decision?"

"Zhang has no objections."

"I also have no objections."

"Nor do I."

None of the nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators wanted to take responsibility, clearly stating their positions.

"Good, since that’s the case, let’s take Zhou Minghan’s body back and let Elder Luo decide what to do. As for this Jade Spring Peak, if you all want to make a small fortune, feel free to take the Spirit Wood and Spirit Elixir from the mountain!"

After making his decision, Yang Xingyan immediately put Zhou Minghan’s body into the Storage Bag with a flick of his sleeve and flew out of Jade Spring Peak without touching a single plant or tree on the mountain.

However, while he could resist the temptation of those Spiritual Objects that the Zhou Family couldn’t take away in a short time, the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators apparently couldn’t.

These people, although very tacitly did not touch the Zhou Family’s ancestral shrine and burial ground, they harvested all the Spirit Wood, including the "Dragon Scale Tree" on the mountaintop, and took away all the Spirit Elixirs from the medicine field that were not yet mature but barely usable.

By the time these people left Jade Spring Peak, there was not a single noteworthy Spiritual Object left on the mountain.

Seeing this from outside, Yang Xingyan’s eye twitched slightly, yet he said nothing.

He knew very well that if it weren’t for his century-old acquaintance with Zhou Minghan, if this place weren’t the Zhou Family but some other cultivator family he didn’t know, he surely wouldn’t have been so restrained.

Thus, after they scraped everything to the ground, the group benefited greatly before returning to the Baisha River Oasis to report back to Luo Yunqing.

Meanwhile, outside White Camel Peak, Luo Yunqing did not stop the attack on the Mountain Protection Array despite the absence of over a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators, continuing to urge his subordinates to attack fiercely.

However, this time, he personally intercepted Zhouyang’s attack. With himself, a Purple Mansion Cultivator, in action, it became very difficult for Zhouyang to achieve any gains.

After another two days, when Yang Xingyan and his party returned, Luo Yunqing, needing to know the outcome, finally ordered a halt to the assault and had his subordinates retreat a few miles to rest.

"... Elder Luo, please discern, this is how it went."

Outside White Camel Peak, after Yang Xingyan truthfully reported his group’s experience at Jade Spring Lake in the Zhou Family, he suddenly patted his Storage Bag and released the body of Zhou Minghan he had collected, along with the Memory Pearl, handing them over to Luo Yunqing.

While they spoke, Zhouyang and the others on White Camel Peak naturally couldn’t hear.

But their actions were clearly visible to Zhouyang, who was at a high vantage point.

Therefore, when Zhou Minghan’s body was taken out by Yang Xingyan, Zhouyang on White Camel Peak was instantly stunned.

"Great-grandfather!"

"No! This can’t be!"

"Great-grandfather clearly already left Jade Spring Peak!"

"Fake, it must be some trick by Yang Xingyan!"

Watching this scene with wide eyes, he let out a low roar akin to a beast’s cry, with an inexplicable fierce expression on his face.

He refused to believe it was true, refused to believe that the motionless old man before him was truly his beloved great-grandfather!

Meanwhile, behind him, Zhou Guangxiang, who also got a chance to rest because Luo Yunqing and others stopped attacking the Mountain Protection Array, shouted in disbelief with a face full of stupefaction.

"How could this happen? How could this happen? The old Clan Leader clearly replied that he had already left the Yuquan Lake Oasis! Why did this happen!"

Only the cultivators of the Zhou Family could understand how high a position Zhou Minghan held in their hearts.

Now seeing the old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan, whom they revered and admired since childhood, turned into a cold corpse and fallen into enemy hands, Zhouyang and Zhou Guangxiang, these two cultivators of the Zhou Family, how could they accept this fact?

But regardless of whether they accepted this outcome, facts are facts and would not change because of their attitudes.

As an enemy, Luo Yunqing cared even less about their feelings.

He activated the Memory Pearl and looked through it, then coldly snorted, "Hmph, you’ve all been fooled by this old thing! He didn’t even have a Storage Bag on him, clearly not wanting his treasures to be taken by you after his death. What do you think he would use to drag you all down with him?"

Having said this, he suddenly waved his sleeve, and a flash of Sword Light swept by, instantly severing Zhou Minghan’s head.

Then a cluster of True Flame was released by him, turning Zhou Minghan’s headless body into ashes in the blink of an eye!

After finishing all this, he waved his hand and said, "Go, send this head to that Zhou kid on White Camel Peak, and tell him Luo gives him this gift for his opening of the Purple Mansion in advance!"

Immediately, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Yellow Sand Sect released a Tier One Puppet Wolf Beast, carrying Zhou Minghan’s head towards White Camel Peak.

And on White Camel Peak, witnessing all this firsthand, Zhouyang and Zhou Guangxiang’s eyes were furious and about to burst!

"Luo Yunqing!!!"

Zhouyang watched as the old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan’s body turned to ashes in the flames, and as the old man’s head was carried towards him by the Puppet Beast, his face and eyes turned red instantly.

His body moved involuntarily, wanting to go down the mountain to retrieve the old Clan Leader’s head, to fight Luo Yunqing to the death!

However, as soon as he moved, a huge pressure descended upon him, instantly making it difficult for him to move; it was Chen Ping’an who had been silent all the while, using the power of the Array.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, calm down!"

"If Fellow Daoist Ming Han were still alive, he wouldn’t want you to be in danger avenging him either!"

"Luo Yunqing is merely a despicable traitorous villain, is it worth it for Fellow Daoist Zhou to ruin his own path for such a person?"

Chen Ping’an, relying on the power of the Array, held Zhouyang’s body firmly, earnestly persuading him, afraid that he might be provoked by Luo Yunqing’s taunts.

At this time, Zhou Guangxiang, hearing Chen Ping’an’s words, also suddenly came forward, grabbing Zhouyang’s arm, pleading earnestly, "Yes, Ninth Uncle, you must stay calm! If the old Clan Leader has a spirit in heaven, he surely wouldn’t want to see you in danger for his sake!"

"Let’s not argue with the old thief Luo Yunqing for now; wait until you have opened your Purple Mansion, then we will unite the entire clan to storm that old thief’s lair, wipe out all his disciples and descendants, to have him repay today’s sins a hundredfold!"

Zhouyang was initially acting on a moment of impulse, and after Chen Ping’an used the array’s power to suppress him, he quickly came to his senses.

Thus, hearing the advice of Chen Ping’an and Zhou Guangxiang, he also calmed down swiftly.

His magical power surged around him, quickly suppressing the blood rushing to his head, and he coldly uttered, "Thank you, Elder Chen, for your advice. I understand what I need to do!"

Hearing these words, Chen Ping’an immediately released the power of the array suppressing him and nodded slightly, "It’s good that Fellow Daoist Zhou understands. Even among mortals, there’s the saying ’a gentleman’s revenge is never too late for ten years’, let alone us cultivators with abundant Lifespan? As long as Luo Yunqing is alive, do you still fear that you won’t have a chance for revenge in the future?"

However, Zhouyang didn’t respond to this; he merely fixed his gaze on Luo Yunqing outside the mountain array and shouted sternly, "Luo Yunqing, I, Zhouyang, swear by my Dao Heart here, that in fifteen years, I will cut you down with my sword!"

Swearing by his Dao Heart to cut Luo Yunqing down in fifteen years!

This is Zhouyang’s promise to the deceased old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan, and also the shackles he put on himself.

If he fails to open his Purple Mansion and kill Luo Yunqing within fifteen years, his Dao Heart will be clouded, and his cultivation will never progress!

He is setting his back to the wall, leaving no retreat.

However, such resolute words did not frighten Luo Yunqing; rather, they made him laugh out loud: "Hahaha, you said it yourself, then Luo will wait, waiting to see how you kill Luo within fifteen years!"

He didn’t believe Zhouyang could kill him in fifteen years.

Even if Zhouyang succeeds in opening his Purple Mansion in fifteen years, he will merely have a cultivation of the First-Layer of the Purple Mansion.

Luo Yunqing does not believe that Zhouyang, with a First-Layer Purple Mansion cultivation, could slay him, who possesses a Sixth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivation.

One must understand that defeating and killing are two completely different concepts!