Chapter 69 The Hunt for Vengeance, Condemned by All

At this thought, the old clan leader could no longer suppress his killing intent.

"Has this Elder Hong the Demon gone completely mad?"

"How dare he commit such heinous acts right under my watch! Even if he flees to the 9 Heavens and 10 Earths, I shall hunt him down and scatter his ashes to the winds."

Eldrin did not respond. After meticulously examining the battlefield, he gazed toward Pingling Town and remarked, "The battleground bears no trace of the distinctive baleful aura or demonic energy unique to demonic cultivators."

"The mortal's vital blood and soul were not extracted after death. There even remains pure Daoist True Qi. This doesn’t resemble the work of a demonic cultivator—it seems more like the deed of a righteous practitioner."

"Cultivators of the righteous path?"

The old clan leader exchanged a glance with Lior (Person Name), his voice trembling with disbelief, "How could this be? How would righteous cultivators dare commit such heinous acts that would incur the wrath of both heaven and mankind?"

"Whether they are from the righteous path or the demonic path, their actions now are no different from those of a demonic cultivator." A cold gleam flashed in Eldrin's eyes as he spoke. "Demonic cultivators are solely driven by self-interest. They would never take such great risks to kill without gaining any tangible benefit."

"Judging by the situation in Pingling Town, it appears more like an act of vengeful retaliation—they intend to fight us to mutual destruction."

"Who exactly was it?" Lior's eyes flashed with sudden coldness, his face unable to conceal the overwhelming killing intent. "Could it be Lin Baixi from the Lin Family? After you destroyed his path to immortality, did he act out of resentment?"

Eldrin shook his head, "The Lin family's influence is vast, and their enterprises are extensive. I'm afraid they wouldn't dare take such a step."

He suddenly raised his head and locked eyes with Chen Changxuan.

"Could it be..."

Zuo Yunnian (Person Name).

The old clan leader gnashed his teeth and declared with unwavering certainty.

Eldrin and Lior’s expressions turned icy, their hearts settling on the same conclusion. The Chen family had few mortal enemies, and the most direct foe still breathing was none other than the Crimson Fiend.

However, aside from Elder Hong the Demon, the Chen Clan had another sworn enemy—the Zuo Immortal Clan of Feng Province.

Within the Zuo Immortal Clan's main lineage, there were only 2 Foundation Establishment cultivators: Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi. Both of them had ultimately fallen to Eldrin (Person Name) and the former clan leader.

With no Foundation Establishment cultivator to guard the Zuo Family, they soon fell victim to a demonic calamity. It was said that Old Demon Hong seized the opportunity while the family was caught off guard, collaborating with demonic cultivators who had been lurking within the clan for years. From within and without, they shattered the City Protection Array.

For mortals, the breaching of the city-protecting grand array heralds a scene of unparalleled horror. That vile Elder Hong, with his malicious heart, actually performed a blood sacrifice of over a 100 1000 commoners from the Zuo family, refining them into his life-bound demonic treasure—the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade (Magic Treasure).

This incident caused a sensation across the 3 prefectures of Bianzhou at the time. Every major clan dispatched experts to hunt down the Elder Demon Hong. However, after forging his demonic blade, the demon's power had surged dramatically. Astonishingly, he managed to escape the relentless pursuit of numerous immortal clans from Feng Prefecture.

It was said that a Foundation Establishment elder from Feng Commandery personally gave chase for tens of thousands of miles, yet only managed to severely injure the Demon Hong, failing to eradicate this fiend completely.

At that time, Eldrin and the old clan leader were attacking the Demon Wolf Mountain, yet upon returning to Celestial Ruins Mountain, they were utterly astonished to hear of this matter.

I thought the feud with the Zuo Family had come to an end, but word later reached me that they actually still had a Yu-generation cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm, who had been inducted into the Qingyang Sect since childhood.

This man was named Zuo Yu Nian (Person Name), who actually held a seniority 2 generations above even Zuo Mingxu (Person Name), the current clan leader of the Zuo Family. At over 1 100 and 80 years of age, he was a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Qingyang Sect (Sect Name), with a cultivation base as high as the eighth level of Foundation Establishment.

Zuo Yunian had only achieved Foundation Establishment by relying on the Green Sun Sect, and for years he had been forbidden from having any contact with the Zuo Family. Hence, Chen Changxuan did not regard him as a member of the Zuo Family.

Later, after some investigation, they discovered that Zuo Yuannian was actually the youngest son of the Zuo family’s founding ancestor. Despite his deep affection for the clan, he had deliberately kept his distance all these years to avoid any suspicion of favoritism.

It was not until the Zuo family was annihilated that this old cultivator, whose longevity was nearing its end, finally emerged. Rumor had it that after pleading desperately, the higher-ups of the Qingyang Sect showed rare mercy, allowing him to seek vengeance against the demonic cultivators.

Zuo Mingxu and Zuo Zhouqi were slain by us. With no Foundation Establishment expert left to guard the Zuo Family, the Crimson Fiend seized the opportunity to sacrifice them all in a blood ritual, forging the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade (Magic Treasure).

"That explains it. Zuo Yunnian's lifespan is nearly exhausted. He's come for revenge, ready to fight like a cornered beast."

The old clan leader closed his eyes, his face contorted with pain and struggle.

To be fair, although the Chen Clan and the 2 Foundation Establishment experts of the Zuo Clan harbored an irreconcilable blood feud, the Chen Clan had no desire to witness the Zuo Clan's 100 1000 or so mortals perish in the demonic calamity.

Unable to locate the Scarlet Fiend, Zuo Yunian vented his hatred upon the Chen family—his sworn enemies. Truth be told, he hadn't exactly targeted the wrong scapegoat.

"This Zuo Yunnian has likely descended into demonic cultivation." Eldrin sighed, shaking his head as he continued, "With his lifespan nearing its end, he has set his sights on our Chen Family, determined to fight us to mutual destruction. I fear this is merely the beginning."

Chen Changxuan’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent. “He dares to slaughter an entire town of our Chen Clan, butchering 8,000 of our clansmen without a single survivor. Such a blood debt can never be washed away.”

"Even if he is from the Eldrin Sect, we cannot let him live."

"Having committed such heinous acts that outrage both deities and mortals, I'm afraid even the Azure Sun Sect won't protect him." Lior (Person Name) nodded in agreement, furrowing his brow as he added, "The question is how we can locate him."

Eldrin (Person Name) pondered for a moment before analyzing, "Since he seeks vengeance against us, he will never relent easily."

His target must be 1 of our 3 vital arteries, wait...

Before he could finish his words, his expression abruptly shifted. "This is bad! It's a diversionary tactic!"

Without another word, he urgently summoned the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, transforming into a streak of sapphire sword radiance that pierced through the heavens.

Chen Changxuan and the Third Elder quickly snapped back to reality, their faces instantly paling as they soared into the air. In haste, they summoned their sword radiance and gave chase.

At the same time, 6 1000 li away, an elderly man with flowing white hair stood with his hands clasped behind his back by the shore of Spirit Isle Lake (Location).

This man was Zuo Younian (Person Name). At this moment, he was no longer a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Qingyang Sect, but the revered ancestor of the Zuo Immortal Clan.

"Is this the Spirit Isle Lake (Location)?"

The elder's gaze pierced through the shimmering ripples, fixed upon the Spirit Isle Lake (Location) before him, his eyes carrying a trace of lifeless stillness.

“The 3 vital lifelines of the Chen Family—Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), Pingyang City, and this Spirit Isle Lake (Location)—should any 1 of them fall, it would be the ultimate vengeance against them.”

Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location) has been managed by them for hundreds of years, layered with countless formations and garrisoned by multitudes of cultivators. Without at least Purple Mansion Realm (Cultivation Realm) cultivation, breaching its defenses is nearly impossible. Even if this old man were to go, it would be nothing but a futile death.

"Our cover is blown in Pingyang City, and with Elder Chen Changxuan guarding the place, there's no chance for us to strike again."

"Thus, the sole objective must be this Spirit Isle Lake (Location)."

The old man muttered to himself, and as his words faded, a glimmer gradually surfaced within his deathly still pupils.

He strode upward, ascending into the heavens as a surge of killing intent erupted from his very being, stirring the winds and clouds across the firmament.

"Because of your Chen Clan, my Zuo family's 100,000 bloodlines died crying injustice. Today, your Chen Clan shall pay the price."

Slay them—

Zuo Yunnian arrived with overwhelming killing intent, soaring over Spirit Isle Lake (Location), and was quickly detected by Chen Changyan.

Although Elder Uncle was already 1 100 and 18 years of age, his vast experience and sharp instincts allowed him to sense something amiss at first glance.

Before Zuo Yunián could charge into the Spirit Lake Region, the elder urgently activated the formation disk, triggering the island's protective grand formation at the critical moment.