Chapter 238: Challenging the Noble Clan, Slaying the God Refiner!

Chapter 238: Challenging the Noble Clan, Slaying the God Refiner!

Shen Haizhou felt his scalp tingle. Xu Yan had only just escaped from Dai Sheng, a God Refiner, and now he intended to turn around and destroy Dai's nest?

Anyone who escaped from the clutches of a God Refiner would naturally lie low and hide, afraid of being discovered.

But not Xu Yan. He was planning to destroy the Dai clan's headquarters!

How fearless!

Shen Haizhou was stunned. Why was Xu Yan so bold? The Dai clan was a noble family, even if they were only second-rate.

Xu Yan raised an eyebrow. "What? You have a problem with that?"

"Brother Xu, I call you brother, but the Dai clan is a noble family," Shen Haizhou said, his face covered in cold sweat.

"So what if they're a noble family? If they've offended me, they must pay the price," Xu Yan said matter-of-factly. "I, Xu Yan, will not be wronged. If someone tries to harm me, I will strike back. Since Dai Sheng is chasing after me, I'll go and destroy his headquarters."

Xu Yan's calm determination left Yuxiao Long shocked. Was Xu Yan really planning to wipe out the Dai clan's headquarters?

"Calm down, calm down! Don't be impulsive!" Yuxiao Long, the little snake, was extremely worried.

Ever since he had followed Xu Yan, each day seemed more thrilling than the last. They had just been pursued by a God Refiner, and now they were talking about wiping out a noble family?

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing!" Xu Yan glared at Yuxiao Long.

Shen Haizhou swallowed hard. "Brother Xu, are you serious?"

"Of course," Xu Yan nodded, a cold smile on his face. "While Dai Sheng is away, I plan to destroy his clan's headquarters. Now, tell me, where is their lair, and are there any other God Refiners besides Dai Sheng?"

Shen Haizhou's expression turned solemn. "The Dai clan is a second-rate noble family in Yuzhou. On the surface, they only have one God Refiner, Dai Sheng. However, they must have another one hidden away. The remaining God Refiner is most likely guarding the Dai clan's treasury, and even if their strength is inferior to Dai Sheng's, they are still a force to be reckoned with."

Xu Yan's eyes lit up at the mention of the Dai clan's treasury. How many treasures must be stored within?

Cold sweat formed on Shen Haizhou's forehead as he hurriedly said, "Brother Xu, don't be impulsive. Of course, there are treasures within the Dai clan's treasury, but it's guarded by a God Refiner!"

Xu Yan fell into thought. Taking on a clan with a God Refiner guarding it would be extremely difficult. However, it wasn't impossible.

While he might not be able to defeat a God Refiner in direct combat, what about a sneak attack?

"In the world of martial arts, you must know when to advance and when to retreat. Don't be reckless and don't be stubborn..." Xu Yan's mind was already formulating a plan.

As his master had taught him, he must not act like a brute. He needed to be strategic and make use of his strengths.

"Tell me in detail about the Dai clan and why you're so certain that they have another God Refiner," Xu Yan said gravely.

Shen Haizhou took a deep breath. It seemed that Xu Yan had made up his mind to take on the Dai clan, although he didn't know where his confidence came from. If Xu Yan dared to take action, it meant that he had a plan.

"The Dai clan is a second-rate noble family in Yuzhou. For a clan to be considered second-rate in a state, they must have either one mid-stage God Refiner or two early-stage God Refiners. Dai Sheng is at the perfect stage of the early God Refiner realm and has not yet broken through to the mid-stage. Since the Dai clan is second-rate, it implies that they have another God Refiner in their ranks."

Shen Haizhou went on to explain the classification system of noble clans and spiritual sects, knowledge that only insiders like him would possess. Outsiders and wandering cultivators were not privy to this information.

"To become a noble clan, a lineage must have a heritage of at least ten thousand years, which is the minimum requirement. A third-rate noble clan must have at least one early-stage God Refiner. A second-rate clan, like the Dai clan, should have either one mid-stage God Refiner or two early-stage God Refiners. As for first-rate clans, they must have at least one mid-stage God Refiner and no fewer than five God Refiners in total. Otherwise, even if they have more than five God Refiners but no mid-stage ones, they can only be considered second-rate."

"Among the second-rate clans, the Dai clan is on the weaker side. Having two God Refiners is probably their limit," Shen Haizhou added in a low voice.

Xu Yan's eyebrows furrowed as he learned about the classification system for the first time.

"What about the Yushen Sect? How strong are they?" Xu Yan asked, curious about the mightiest force he had provoked so far, which was known as the number one sect in Yuzhou.

"The Yushen Sect is indeed the number one sect in Yuzhou, and they are truly among the first-rate spiritual sects in the Spiritual Domain. However, they are on the weaker side," Shen Haizhou explained. "The criteria I mentioned earlier for noble clans and spiritual sects are specific to each state. For a force to be considered first-rate in the Spiritual Domain, they must have at least one late-stage God Refiner and more than two mid-stage God Refiners. In all of Yuzhou, only the Yushen Sect has a late-stage God Refiner, which is why they are the top sect. They are the only sect in Yuzhou that has reached the first-rate level in the Spiritual Domain."

Since the topic of classification had come up, Shen Haizhou took the opportunity to provide Xu Yan with a more detailed explanation.

Even among first-rate forces, there could be significant variations in strength. To be considered a first-rate force in the Spiritual Domain, one must have at least one late-stage God Refiner. Some powerful first-rate clans and sects might even have five or six late-stage God Refiners. As for super first-rate sects, they would have at least one peak God Refiner in their ranks.

And above them all were the transcendent sects—entities that were beyond the reach of others. Their foundations were unfathomable, and there were only a handful of them in the entire Spiritual Domain.

"Breaking through to the God Refiner realm is incredibly difficult," Shen Haizhou continued. "Many God Refiners get stuck at the early stage and are unable to progress further. Countless great heaven-level warriors fail at the threshold of the God Refiner realm, unable to take that crucial step and refine their soul force. Numerous geniuses stall at the great heaven-level or even the early and mid-stages of the God Refiner realm..."

"Those who can break through to the late-stage of the God Refiner realm are truly at the pinnacle of the Spiritual Domain," he concluded with a sigh.

Shen Haizhou considered himself to have decent talent, but even he didn't dare claim that he would definitely become a God Refiner in the future.

Finally, Xu Yan had gained a more comprehensive understanding of spiritual sects and noble clans, and he realized that Shen Haizhou, as the young master of a clan, had a far superior understanding of these matters compared to Yuxiao Long, the wild snake.

"Yuzhou doesn't seem very strong," Xu Yan remarked in surprise.

Even though the Yushen Sect was considered first-rate, it was only just barely meeting the criteria.

"Yuzhou is relatively remote, and it is said that a great calamity befell the state, causing its decline," Shen Haizhou explained.

"Where is the Dai clan's headquarters? Tell me about it. I plan to take them out while Dai Sheng is away," Xu Yan said in a low voice.

Shen Haizhou was stunned. After all this discussion, Xu Yan was still determined to destroy the Dai clan? He seemed completely unfazed by their strength.

"I don't know much about the Dai clan either," Shen Haizhou said. "Their ancestral land is within the borders of Zhenguo. As for this generation, aside from Dai Yingying and Dai Jun, there are a few others, but their talents are average at best..."

Shen Haizhou drew a map on the ground, marking the location of the Dai clan's headquarters and even the approximate location of their treasury.

Xu Yan nodded and turned to Shen Haizhou, "Brother Shen, do me a favor and have Dai Sheng wander around outside for a bit longer. Don't let him return to the Dai Clan too soon."

"Alright!"

Shen Haizhou nodded in agreement.

"Brother Xu, are you really sure about this?"

The Dai Clan had a God Refiner guarding it, after all.

"It should be fine."

Xu Yan nodded confidently.

"Then, I wish you success, Brother Xu!"

Shen Haizhou bowed respectfully.

"Thanks!"

Xu Yan returned the bow and then turned and left without another word.

"It looks like a storm is about to hit Yuzhou. With the Dai Clan wiped out, how will the Yu God Sect and Su family react?" Shen Haizhou muttered to himself.

The Yu God Sect and the Su family would definitely try their best to eliminate Xu Yan, seeing him as a potential threat.

It wouldn't be difficult to hold Dai Sheng back. Shen Haizhou could simply spread false information about Wen Yong's and Xu Yan's whereabouts, which would keep Dai Sheng occupied.

At that moment, Dai Sheng was frantically searching for Xu Yan and Wen Yong, his face filled with shame and rage. How could a God Refiner like him be unable to deal with two rogue cultivators? It was an embarrassment to the Dai Clan!

...

Dai County was the territory governed by the Dai Clan. Their ancestral land was also located here.

Recently, the Dai Clan had been experiencing a series of misfortunes. Dai Yingying, in whom they had placed high hopes, had been killed, and Dai Jun was also dead. Even the current clan head, Dai Yipeng, had perished at the hands of a rogue cultivator in Mang Mountain.

It was a humiliating disgrace!

Dai Yang was Dai Yingying's cousin, but he didn't possess outstanding talent. At over thirty years of age, he had yet to break through to the Small Heaven stage.

On this day, Dai Yang returned home, his head lowered and his mood somber.

The Dai Clan's guards and elders didn't suspect anything, as the recent misfortunes had indeed dampened the spirits of the younger generation.

Dai Yang wandered around aimlessly until he finally arrived at the Dai Clan's ancestral shrine.

"Dai Yang, what are you doing here? Snap out of it! This is a restricted area, and you're not allowed to enter without permission!" a guard elder scolded him.

"I understand," Dai Yang mumbled in response, turning to leave.

"This place is close to the treasury, and it's suitable for an ambush. I'll make my move here," Xu Yan, disguised as Dai Yang, muttered to himself as he hid behind a large tree near the ancestral shrine, slowly burying himself underground to conceal his presence completely.

"I'll only have one chance to strike, and I must heavily injure him with my first blow if I want to have a chance at killing him," Xu Yan thought, his eyes filled with determination.

He quietly gathered his sword intent, refining his Xun Wind Sword Intent to perfection. To kill a God Refiner, he would rely on this sword intent to tear apart his opponent's soul.

"Almost there," Xu Yan thought to himself.

His divine sense permeated the area, and suddenly, a giant serpent with a green back and white belly appeared in the sky above the Dai Clan's ancestral land, letting out a low roar.

Boom!

The Dai Clan's warriors were stunned, feeling as if a mountain had suddenly pressed down upon them. Those below the Great Heaven stage immediately fell to the ground, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure.

Only the Great Heaven elders possessed the strength to resist this formidable might, and even they were shocked by the sudden appearance of the giant serpent.

"The Qing Heaven Serpent's corpse has come to the Dai Clan?!"

Boom!

Just then, a powerful soul force emerged from the direction of the ancestral shrine, and an elder appeared, charging towards the giant serpent.

"Qing Heaven Serpent, now that you're here, don't even think about leaving! Let's see how you became a corpse!" the elder shouted.

The giant serpent unleashed its mighty power, rushing towards the elder. However, with a single palm strike, the elder knocked it out of the sky, causing it to crash into a large tree.

Roar!

The Qing Heaven Serpent writhed on the ground, its head raised as it let out a furious roar, struggling to get back up.

The elder descended from the sky, his heart pounding with excitement. The missing Qing Heaven Serpent's corpse had somehow stumbled upon the Dai Clan. Was this compensation for the clan's recent losses?

"You wretched beast, don't struggle!" the elder exclaimed, his excitement palpable as he approached the giant serpent, ready to subdue and capture it.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a sense of imminent danger filled the air, and a sharp sword light flashed behind him.

"Not good!"

The elder's expression changed as he prepared to unleash his soul force. At the same time, he tried to dodge the incoming attack.

However, Xu Yan had been waiting for this moment, and his strike, empowered by the Xun Wind Sword Intent, sliced through the elder's soul like a hurricane.

The elder felt as if his soul was being ravaged by a hurricane, the flame of his soul flickering wildly. Cracks began to form in his soul, threatening to shatter it at any moment.

"Ah!"

The elder let out a piercing scream of agony.

The pain in his soul was unbearable, and in that instant, all his plans and reactions froze.

Even as his subconscious desperately urged him to dodge and escape, the pain in his soul left him unable to react in time.

Life and death hung in the balance!

Xu Yan's strike had sliced into the elder's soul, and although it wasn't enough to shred it completely, it was more than enough to incapacitate the unprepared elder.

The excruciating soul pain would cause the elder's physical body to stagnate, giving Xu Yan the opportunity he needed.

Boom!

The elder's body was blasted apart by Xu Yan's sword, which seemed to embody the collapse of the mountains and rivers themselves. It was as if the sword had fallen from the hands of a mortal amidst the destruction of the world.

Puh!

The elder's soul, now without a physical body, began to flicker and fade, as if it had lost its anchor.

Xu Yan's body glowed with radiant light as his sword intent surged forth. His Xun Wind Sword Intent, Mountain River Sword Intent, and the dragon might true intent of the Descending Dragon Palm all burst forth together.

Puh!

The elder's soul was shredded to pieces and began to dissipate.

"Who are you?!" the elder's soul cried out in anger and despair.

"Your killer!"

Xu Yan relentlessly attacked, giving his opponent no chance to recover.

Crush the bones, scatter the ashes, and extinguish the soul!

Finally, the elder perished.

Only then did Xu Yan breathe a sigh of relief. He reached out and grabbed the storage bag that had fallen from the elder's body, shrinking the Qing Heaven Serpent's corpse with the Descending Dragon Palm and storing it in the bag as well.

At that moment, the Dai Clan elders, who had been watching in shock, finally snapped out of their daze.

Xu Yan slashed his sword towards them.

"Today, I trample on your noble clan and slay your God Refiner!" Xu Yan declared coldly.

Boom!

Xu Yan's sword struck out, killing several Great Heaven elders. Instead of pursuing the fleeing survivors, he made his way towards the Dai Clan's treasury.

Time was of the essence, and there were countless treasures stored in the treasury. He wouldn't waste time chasing down the escaping elders.

Xu Yan broke into the treasury, not bothering to examine the items within. He simply swept his gaze over the storage bags, collecting them all and even opening several at once to stuff the treasures inside.

He didn't bother to inspect the contents, instead opting to sweep the treasury clean. Once he was done, he immediately fled the scene.

It was time to return to the inner realm!

Dai Sheng would likely go mad with fury, and all of Yuzhou would be shaken by these events.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end