CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 398 ZHAO ZICANG

"Break the array."

Seeing Zhang Nianchuan draw his sword, Lu Ping’s gaze sharpened, already guessing Zhang Nianchuan’s purpose here.

Upon reaching above Black Lake, Lu Ping merely extended his Divine Sense for a sweep and discovered an array covering the lake.

Generally speaking, if an area has an array, it either belongs to a cultivation family or sect, or it’s a residence for loose cultivators.

Around Black Lake, and even the lake itself, Lu Ping found no trace of cultivators or mortals, ruling out the possibility of a cultivation family or sect.

Thus, only the latter remained—a loose cultivator’s cave mansion.

Bam!

As the Profound Fire Sword slashed down, it struck directly on the guardian array over Black Lake, instantly causing ripples like a boulder crashing into a calm lake.

According to Lu Ping’s observation, the array guarding Black Lake was merely a Tier One Top-Grade defense array named Panshi Water Array.

This Panshi Water Array is an array composed of earth and water properties, one of the most common defense arrays available.

Due to its high cost-effectiveness and top-grade defense among Tier One arrays, many loose cultivators opt to purchase it.

With the attack from Zhang Nianchuan’s Foundation Establishment level, it was quite easy to break open this grand array.

Mobilizing all his magical power, with Zhang Nianchuan’s sword strike, the spiritual power of the entire array began to collapse, emitting a humming vibration as if it were about to crack any moment.

Even a Tier One Top-Grade array couldn’t withstand such high-intensity attacks.

"Who dares to be so arrogant here?!"

Shortly after the array was attacked, in less than two breaths, an indignant shout echoed from within the array.

Hearing this voice, Zhang Nianchuan’s gaze was frigid, with no intention to respond. He remotely wielded the Profound Fire Sword, readying another fierce strike.

Boom!

This time, the assault was even fiercer; with a single sword, a breach was opened in the array.

The breach spread like a spider web, expanding rapidly, then the entire array shattered.

Witnessing the family’s array being breached with one sword, a figure with hair standing on end flew out violently from the shattered array.

"Courting death!"

This person wielded a flying disc-shaped spiritual artifact, his Foundation Establishment aura fully unveiled, eyes filled with a cold chill directed straight at Zhang Nianchuan.

Upon seeing the aggressor was a young lad, the figure’s expression initially froze, then his brow deeply furrowed.

Another Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Moreover, from the fact that the opponent broke Black Lake’s array in just two strikes, it was clear that the adversary’s strength was not ordinary.

While the opponent evaluated Zhang Nianchuan, Lu Ping’s gaze also landed on this person.

With a slight probe, Lu Ping discerned the other’s strength, positioned at the First-Layer Foundation Establishment, seemingly having just broken through, evidently having just recently achieved Foundation Establishment.

However, fortunately, an opponent of this level was actually not difficult for Zhang Nianchuan to handle.

In the same realm, Zhang Nianchuan had not only cultivated the high-offense Taiyi Celestial Ruins Sword Technique, but he also possessed several strong Tier Two Spiritual Artifacts, and even two Tier Three Spiritual Artifacts.

As for the Tier Two Talismans, there was no shortage of them either.

"Zhao Zicang, do you remember me?!"

Zhang Nianchuan’s gaze was as sharp as a knife, staring directly at Zhao Zicang not far ahead, a look of righteous fury emanating on his face.

He recognized the opponent at a glance.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zicang’s gaze sharpened, he could predict that the opponent could call his name, yet, looking at Zhang Nianchuan’s face, Zhao Zicang seemed unfamiliar and couldn’t recall who he was.

"Who are you?"

Zhao Zicang narrowly squinted his eyes, a great sense of vigilance arising, his mind quickly running through the list of people he might have offended over the years, yet no face matched Zhang Nianchuan’s.

"How quickly you’ve forgotten!"

Zhang Nianchuan said coldly, word by word: "Fourteen years ago, the Zhang Family Village was massacred overnight, do you still remember this heinous crime you committed!"

"You are..."

Zhao Zicang, upon hearing this, gradually furrowed his brow and vaguely recalled: "The child who survived from Zhang Family Village?"

"Exactly!"

Whenever Zhang Nianchuan thinks of the massacre of Zhang Family Village by Zhao Zicang, he feels a wave of grief in his heart.

"Zhao Zicang, how vicious your heart is! In the Cultivation Realm of Lushan County, how could there be such scum like you!"

With this reminder, Zhao Zicang indeed recalled.

Fourteen years ago, due to greed and recklessness, he mistakenly practiced a demonic cultivation technique, thereby affecting his nature.

At that time, to achieve a quick breakthrough, he secretly attacked Zhang Family Village, slaughtering over three hundred villagers to refine Blood Demon Pills and break through the cultivation technique bottleneck.

This massacre turned Zhang Family Village into a river of blood, with only a few children playing outside the village escaping the calamity.

Zhang Nianchuan was one of the children who survived back then.

Zhao Zicang’s methods at the time were truly those of a Demon Cultivator.

Since Zhang Nianchuan was later favored by an Elder of the Cyan Mountain Sect during an outing for his cultivation potential, and was brought into the sect to cultivate, he often reminded himself to cultivate well and avenge the entire Zhang Family Village.

For over ten years, he continuously investigated Zhao Zicang’s whereabouts and history.

It was only two months ago that he learned that Zhao Zicang was still alive, hiding in Black Lake upstream of Chu River, living carefree in this place.

After discovering Zhao Zicang’s whereabouts, Zhang Nianchuan was eager for revenge; without eliminating Zhao Zicang, he feared he’d have difficulty cultivating with a calm heart in the future.

Over time, this would surely become a Heart Demon.

In cultivation, cultivators fear and avoid Heart Demons above all.

This time, forgoing the Foundation Establishment Pill and rushing into Foundation Establishment, it was precisely to quickly eliminate Zhao Zicang.

Even though, following the Cyan Mountain Sect’s development, there might be a chance to acquire the sect’s Foundation Establishment Pills within a year, Zhang Nianchuan also knew, within the sect, there were also many exceptionally talented peers like Song Minghui and Chu Qin.

The first batch of Foundation Establishment Pills produced by the sect, it was uncertain if one would fall into his hands, and moreover, he couldn’t wait that long.

Who knows what level Zhao Zicang’s strength would advance to after a year, or if he might leave Black Lake, making it too late to seek vengeance then.

Mentioning the past by Zhang Nianchuan, Zhao Zicang’s face turned somewhat gloomy.

In a cultivator’s memory, they remember everything well, let alone a significant event such as slaughtering a mortal village; with a slight recall, memories of that time resurfaced in Zhao Zicang’s mind.

He didn’t regret committing this act at all.

However, the only thing he didn’t expect was the little child of the past had actually grown to this extent, daring to come seeking vengeance alone.

But that’s all there is to it.

No hint of remorse grew in Zhao Zicang’s heart.