Chapter 69 : A Righteous Path Stained Red

At this thought, Old Patriarch declared, his killing intent barely contained.

"Has this Hong Morgrim gone utterly mad?"

"To dare commit such a heinous act that enrages both heaven and man right under my nose—even if he flees to the ends of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths [the entirety of the cosmos], I will hunt him down and grind his bones to dust."

Eldrin Chen did not answer immediately. After meticulously examining the battlefield, he looked towards Pingling Town and said, "The battlefield bears no trace of the distinctive baleful aura or demonic Qi [corrupt spiritual energy] unique to a Demonic Cultivator."

"The vital essence and soul energy of the slain mortals have not been siphoned away. There's even a residue of pure Daoist True Qi [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by orthodox Daoist practitioners]. This does not seem like the work of a Demonic Cultivator. It feels more like the deed of a Righteous Path Cultivator [a practitioner who follows the orthodox, virtuous path of cultivation]."

"A Righteous Path Cultivator?"

Old Patriarch and Lior Chen exchanged a glance, disbelief written on their faces. "How is that possible?" the Old Patriarch uttered. "How could a Righteous Path Cultivator dare commit such an atrocity?"

"Whether the perpetrator walks the righteous or the demonic path, their actions now are indistinguishable from those of a Demonic Cultivator," Eldrin Chen stated coldly, a glint of frost flashing in his pupils. "A Demonic Cultivator acts solely for profit. They would not take such a great risk to kill without reaping any tangible benefit."

"Judging by the state of Pingling Town, this seems more like an act of vengeful hatred—a desperate move to drag us down with them, a mutual destruction."

"Then who could it be?" Lior Chen's eyes turned icy, his murderous aura surging uncontrollably. "Could it be that Lin Lysander from the Lin Clan, whose Dao path you shattered, harbors such resentment that he would do this?" For more chapters, visit *audio-novel.com* for the complete novel.

Eldrin Chen shook his head. "The Lin Clan [a prominent cultivation family] has vast estates and deep roots. I fear they would not dare to take such a drastic step."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Chen Thalion.

"Could it be..."

"Zuo Younian."

The Old Patriarch [the venerable leader of the Chen Clan] ground his teeth, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Eldrin Chen and Lior Chen exchanged a glance, their expressions turning to ice. In their hearts, they had already confirmed the answer. The Chen Clan did not have many mortal enemies. The most direct foe still living was Hong Morgrim.

Yet, besides Hong Morgrim, there was one other adversary with whom the Chen Clan was locked in a feud to the death: the Zuo Immortal Clan [an immortal cultivation clan] of Feng County.

Within the main lineage of this Zuo Immortal Clan, there had been only two Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have solidified their cultivation foundation]: Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi. Both had met their end at the hands of Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch.

With no Foundation Establishment Cultivator to anchor their defenses, the Zuo Clan soon fell victim to a Demonic Tribulation [a catastrophic event caused by demonic forces]. The tale was that Hong Morgrim, seizing the moment before the Zuo Clan could react, conspired with Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and bloody methods] who had long lain hidden within the clan's ranks. From within and without, they shattered the City Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting a city].

For mortals, the breaching of the City Guardian Grand Formation heralded a scene of unspeakable horror. That fiend Hong Morgrim, his heart steeped in malice, performed a blood sacrifice of over one hundred thousand Zuo Clan mortals. From this atrocity, he forged his Lifebound Demonic Treasure [a demonic artifact bound to its user's life force], the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade.

This incident caused a great stir across the Three Counties of Bianzhou at the time. Every major clan dispatched forces to hunt down Hong Morgrim. Unfortunately, after forging his demonic blade, the fiend's power had surged dramatically. He actually managed to escape the pursuit of the numerous immortal clans of Feng County.

It is said that the Purple Mansion Ancestor of Feng County personally gave chase for tens of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], yet only succeeded in severely wounding Hong Morgrim, failing to completely eradicate the demon.

At that time, Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch were assaulting Demon Wolf Mountain. Upon returning to Celestial Ruins Mountain and hearing of these events, they were utterly shocked.

They had thought their feud with the Zuo Clan was concluded, but later news arrived that the Zuo Clan actually had a surviving elder of the Yu generation, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had been sent to the Green Sun Sect as a child.

This man was named Zuo Yunian. In terms of seniority, he was two generations above even the Zuo ClanClan Patriarch, Zuo Mingxu. At over one hundred and eighty years of age, he was a veteran Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Green Sun Sect, with a cultivation base as high as the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer.

This Zuo Yunian had achieved Foundation Establishment solely through the support of the Green Sun Sect. For many years, he had been forbidden from having contact with the Zuo Clan, which is why Chen Thalion had never considered him a true member of the Zuo Clan.

Later investigations revealed that Zuo Yunian was actually the youngest son of the Zuo Clan's founding ancestor. He harbored deep feelings for his clan but had maintained distance all those years to avoid suspicion.

It was only after the destruction of the Zuo Clan that this old cultivator, with his lifespan nearing its end, finally emerged. It is said that after his desperate pleas, the upper echelons of the Green Sun Sect showed rare mercy and permitted him to seek vengeance against the Demonic Cultivator.

"We slew Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi. The Zuo Clan was left without a Foundation Establishment expert to guard it, which is why Hong Morgrim was able to blood-sacrifice them to forge the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade."

"That explains it. This Zuo Yunian, with death at his doorstep, seeks a final, desperate reckoning. He comes for revenge."

Old Patriarch closed his eyes, his expression etched with anguish and sorrow.

To be fair, although the Chen Clan and the Zuo Clan harbored a death feud between their two Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation] cultivators, the Chen Clan had no desire to see over one hundred thousand of the Zuo Clan's mortals perish in a Demonic Calamity [a widespread disaster caused by demonic forces].

Since Zuo Yuannian could not find Hong Morgrim, he vented his hatred upon his sworn enemies, the Chen Clan—a target that was not entirely misplaced.

"This Zuo Yuannian has likely already descended into demonic madness," Eldrin Chen sighed, shaking his head. "With his lifespan nearing its end, he has set his sights on our Chen Clan, determined to drag us down with him in mutual destruction. I fear this is merely the beginning."

Chen Thalion's gaze turned murderous. "He dared to slaughter an entire town of our Chen Clan, butchering eight thousand of our clansmen to the last soul. Such a blood debt is beyond reconciliation."

"Even if he is a member of the Green Sun Sect, we cannot let him live." Visit (audio-novel.com) to enjoy the complete series.

"Having committed such an atrocity that outrages both gods and men, it's unlikely the Green Sun Sect would shield him," Lior Chen agreed with a nod, then furrowed his brow. "The question is, how do we find him?"

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before analyzing, "Since he seeks vengeance against us, he will not cease his efforts easily."

"His target must be one of our three vital lifelines. Wait..."

Before he could finish, his expression abruptly changed. "Disaster! It's a diversion—a feint to lure the tiger from the mountain!"

Unable to wait a moment longer, he hastily summoned the Separated Flame Guixian Sword [his lifebound flying sword, named "Returning to Immortality"], transforming it into a streak of azure sword radiance that pierced through the heavens as he shot forward.

Chen Thalion and the Third Elder reacted almost instantly, their expressions shifting to alarm as they too took to the skies, urgently pursuing him on their own streaks of sword light.

Meanwhile, six thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] away, on the shores of Spirit Isle Lake, a white-haired elder stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

This man was Zuo Yuannian. In this moment, he was no longer a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Green Sun Sect, but the revered Ancestor of the Zuo Immortal Clan.

"So this is Spirit Isle Lake?"

The elder's gaze pierced through the shimmering layers of light on the water, fixed upon the Spirit Isle Lake before him. A profound stillness, bordering on desolation, lay within his eyes.

"The three vital lifelines of the Chen Clan: Verdant Chariot Mountain, Pingyang City, and this Spirit Isle Lake. Breaching any one of them would be the ultimate revenge against them."

"Verdant Chariot Mountain has been fortified by them for centuries, layered with countless formations and guarded by a host of cultivators. Without the power of the Purple Mansion Realm, breaching it is nearly impossible. Even if I went, it would be nothing but a fool's errand, a march to my death."

"Our actions at Pingyang City have already alerted the snake in the grass, and with Chen Thalion stationed there, there is no chance left for success."

"Therefore, the only remaining target... is this Spirit Isle Lake."

The old man murmured to himself, and as his words fell, a glimmer of light gradually kindled within his deathly still pupils.

He took a step, ascending into the heavens. A killing intent erupted from his very being, churning the clouds and winds of the world.

"Because of your Chen Clan, one hundred thousand of my Zuo Clan kin have died crying out their grievances. Today, your Chen Clan will pay the price."

"Kill—!"

Zuo Yuannian approached, carrying his overwhelming killing intent. As he flew over Spirit Province Lake [a large spiritual lake], he was swiftly detected by Chen Dorian.

Though the Old Granduncle was already one hundred and eighteen years of age, his experience was vast and his instincts sharp. With a single glance, he sensed that something was amiss.

Without waiting for Zuo Yuannian to breach the island, the Old Granduncle hurriedly activated the Formation Plate, managing to trigger the Island Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array] at the critical moment. Join our community of readers at audio~novel.com.