https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-181-Annihilating-a-Late-Stage-Foundation-Establishment-A-Clan-Wiped-Out-by-a-Single-Hand/12549629/
Chapter 182: Taking Command
Chapter 182: Taking Command
Knowing that Zou Huqing and Song Li were in cahoots, and having already slain the latter, Chu Ning wasn't about to let the former leave unscathed. With a flick of his left hand, he unleashed the Twin Fire Rings, hurtling them towards Zou Huqing in a fierce attack.
Chu Ning had rarely used this technique against opponents at the early Qi Refining stage. The three Song clan members, be it Song Li, Song Ye, or Song Cheng, were all mid or higher-level Foundation Establishment cultivators. As core members of the Song family, they also possessed decent life-saving treasures. Thus, despite the formidable might of the fire rings, they were able to barely hold their ground and fend off the attack.
However, at that moment, Zou Huqing's pupils constricted as he beheld the Twin Fire Rings barreling towards him. He frantically pulled out multiple talismans and artifacts from his storage bag, activating them to form layer upon layer of defensive shields. But these shields proved futile against the onslaught of the fire rings, shattering like paper.
The fiery rings engulfed Zou Huqing, incinerating him instantly. This cultivator, who was just a step away from the mid Foundation Establishment stage, had no means of resistance against Chu Ning's strike.
Chu Ning retracted the fire rings and conjured a fireball in his palm, intending to dispose of Chen Xinming, the so-called genius of the Chen family who had met an unjust end. But after a moment's thought, he paused.
"Since I formed a team with the other nine, it's likely that others in the Thousand Islands Alliance know about it. Song Li pursued me out of the formation, so he must have killed the rest inside. If all nine of us go missing, but I reappear, it might spell big trouble."
Moreover, Chu Ning had noticed that several people had already landed on the island and would soon reach the outskirts of the ancient formation.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Chu Ning examined the restriction jade talisman in his hand and quickly devised a plan. He searched Chen Xinming's body but couldn't find his storage bag, surmising that Zou Huqing and Song Li might have taken it. However, he didn't spot any extra storage bags on either of them. Not only Chen Xinming's, but Chu Ning also couldn't find the storage bags of the other cultivators as well.
Chu Ning wasn't truly interested in their possessions, so he turned his attention to Chen Xinming's corpse. "This is odd. Why does he look like those Yin Demon Sect cultivators who consumed the Blood Devil Pills and suffered severe depletion of essence and blood?" Chu Ning's face betrayed his bewilderment. "Could it be that Chen Xinming used some kind of secret technique during his battle with Song Li?"
He shook his head, deciding not to delve further into the matter. Instead, he continued deeper into the Iron Meteorite Forest while fiddling with the jade talisman, attempting to manipulate the ancient formation within the forest.
In just a short while, he had grasped the basics of the formation's operation. Consequently, he deactivated most of the formation's defensive restrictions, significantly diminishing its defensive prowess. At the same time, the complexity of the formation was now far inferior to its previous state.
Having accomplished this, Chu Ning ventured further into the meteorite forest and casually sat down on one of the iron meteorites.
"If nothing unexpected happens, either Wen Linghua or Chen Xinming must have found a way to send out a message. The people arriving from outside are most likely from the Thousand Islands Alliance. Now that I've weakened the restrictions of this ancient formation, if anyone from the Cen family who understands formations shows up, they should be able to unravel it."
Despite having a plan in mind, Chu Ning remained vigilant. Taking advantage of this respite, he retrieved the Cycle of Reincarnation ancient plate from his storage bag and once again began to gather and store the Reincarnation Divine Light. Subsequently, he took out and ingested two pills.
"I don't have many Spirit Recovery Pills left. I should refine another batch when I get out." Chu Ning muttered to himself as he settled into a cross-legged meditation posture to restore his spiritual power and spiritual sense.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Calm Lake Island, one Foundation Establishment cultivator after another was arriving. At the spot where Chu Ning had originally slain Song Li, nine figures were now walking in two rows. Four in front and five behind.
Had Chu Ning been present, he would have recognized the people in the rear. Among them were the five out of six Foundation Establishment cultivators who had sat on the high platform during the Thousand Islands competition, excluding Song Cheng.
However, these individuals weren't at the forefront. Leading the way were four elderly men around the same age as Song Li, each exuding an aura that identified them as late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
They were none other than the patriarchs of the Liu, He, Chen, and Bai families.
Among the six major families of the Thousand Islands Alliance, the patriarch of the Cen family had passed away, and Song Li had been killed by Chu Ning. Thus, these four were the only remaining late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"There seems to have been a battle here," remarked one of the elderly men, clad in a blue robe.
"Brother Liu's cultivation technique is highly sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy. Can you sense anything more specific?" inquired another elderly man with a mole on his face, his head full of black hair.
From his words, it was evident that the blue-robed elder was Liu Yishan, the patriarch of the Liu family.
Liu Yishan shook his head and replied, "The spiritual energy here has mostly recovered, so I can't discern much. Brother Chen, since you received a message from your clansmen, can you sense their whereabouts now?"
The only person addressed as 'Brother Chen' among the Thousand Lakes and Thousand Islands was Chen Chengzong, the patriarch of the Chen family.
The group of nine soon arrived outside the Iron Meteorite Forest. "Hmm, there seems to be an array formation here," remarked the tall and thin elder with a long face, his brow furrowed in confusion. He turned to Cen Wenquan, who was walking behind them, and said, "Cen Wenquan, come take a look at this. Tell us what kind of formation it is."
Cen Wenquan stepped forward as he replied, "Uncle Bai, this is indeed peculiar. Our Cen family has investigated this Iron Meteorite Forest before, and we suspected that there might be a formation here, but we never found its exact location." The long-faced elder was Bai Heng, the patriarch of the Bai family. And the gray-robed elder who had exchanged glances with Liu Yishan was none other than He Zhenshan, the elder of the He family.
Chen Chengzong made way for Cen Wenquan to take the lead, and when they were side by side, he turned to him and said, "Wenquan, now that the formation has revealed itself, it shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?" "I'll give it a try," Cen Wenquan nodded. He took out a jade talisman, activated it, and threw it into the formation.
To everyone's surprise, the jade talisman was effortlessly drawn into the formation. After a few breaths, it returned to Cen Wenquan's hand. "This formation is ancient, but many of its restrictions haven't been activated. It seems to be a damaged remnant formation. Give me some time, and I should be able to decipher it," Cen Wenquan said with a smile. And so, he began to unravel the mysteries of the formation.
Within the formation, Chu Ning, who held the jade talisman that controlled the formation, was well aware of its workings. As soon as Cen Wenquan started his attempt to break the formation, Chu Ning sensed it. "They've finally arrived, and they even have someone capable of dismantling the formation. As expected, there's someone from the Cen family," Chu Ning thought to himself, unperturbed. He continued to focus on restoring his spiritual sense and power.
After some time, Chu Ning opened his eyes again. "The formation has been broken! But I wonder when they'll find me." Chu Ning smiled faintly and performed a series of intricate hand seals on the jade talisman. Although Cen Wenquan had dismantled the formation's outer restrictions, Chu Ning's manipulations ensured that anyone entering the formation would still encounter various obstacles from time to time. It would take at least half a day for them to locate him.
At that moment, outside the formation, Cen Wenquan said with a beaming smile, "The outer restrictions of the formation have been broken. We can enter now." He was the first to step into the formation.
But as soon as he did, his expression changed drastically. The others, sensing his reaction, became alert. "What's wrong, Wenquan? Is something amiss?" Chen Chengzong asked as he followed him into the formation. Cen Wenquan opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. Chen Chengzong followed his gaze, and in the next moment...
"Xinming!" A heartbroken yet angry roar escaped from Chen Chengzong's lips. Hearing this, a middle-aged man from the Chen family rushed into the formation. When they saw Chen Xinming's shriveled body, severed into several pieces, their faces turned ashen.
The two men rushed to Chen Xinming's corpse simultaneously. Chen Chengzong's eyes reddened with rage as he bellowed, "That old villain, Song Li! I will flay him alive!" Meanwhile, the other members of the Thousand Islands Alliance entered the formation and witnessed the grim scene. Their expressions varied, and the atmosphere became heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Chen Chengzong, having weathered many storms in his life, soon calmed down. He turned and said, "That old fool, Song Li, is most likely still within this formation, but we must also be cautious in case he tries to escape. Liu, Bai, and Cen, please assist me in searching this formation. He, please stay outside with your son to guard the entrance."
The others agreed with Chen Chengzong's arrangement and immediately set out to carry out his instructions. Chen Jiasheng, the current head of the Chen family, carried Chen Xinming's body out of the formation. He Zhenshan, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the He family, also exited the formation, accompanied by the current heads of the Liu and Bai families, both of whom were mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Inside the formation, Chen Chengzong, Liu Yishan, Bai Heng, Cen Wenquan, and the others began their search. As they progressed, they discovered the remains of Wen Linghua and the others in different locations, causing Chen Chengzong's expression to darken further.
Chu Ning, the holder of the jade talisman, carefully sensed the movements of the group. At one point, he sat on an iron meteorite in the northeast section of the forest, his gaze shifting to his left. "They're here, several of them, but I can't tell who they are," he murmured.
(End of Chapter)
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