Chapter 329 Deng Clan Spirit Mountain

In addition to 4 highly valuable top-grade fourth-tier magic treasures, there were also 4 mid-grade fourth-tier treasures and 3 lower-grade fourth-tier treasures.

The fourth-tier mid-grade magic treasures were respectively Deng Tiankun's Heaven's Radiance God-Slaying Blade (Magic Treasure), the Bull Demon King's Savage Bull Blood Armor (Magic Treasure), and the Lion Demon King's set of array artifacts: the Celestial Demon Blade (Magic Treasure) and the Kalpa-Transcending Mystic Pearl (Magic Treasure).

Among them, the Heaven-Slaying Demon Blade and the Tribulation-Transcending Mystic Pearl were arranged as formation artifacts, having passed through the hands of the Green Wave Lake Demon King.

Fearing the Demon King might have left behind hidden traps, they replaced these 2 treasures. Using the Skyblade Severing God Sword and the Blood-Soaked Aurochs Armor as substitutes for the original array artifacts, they reforged the grand formation and reinstalled it atop the Earthlion Ridge.

The third and fourth-tier lower-grade items were respectively: an ancient bronze cauldron (Magic Treasure), a Golden Sun Divine Flame Lantern (Magic Treasure), and a Mountain-Suppressing Stone Stele (Magic Treasure).

Lyra took the small bronze cauldron, intending to deploy it as a defensive array artifact at Tianxu Lake to reinforce its protective capabilities.

Eldrin simply exchanged for the remaining 2 items as well, intending to deploy them as formation artifacts atop Verdant Chariot Mountain to enhance the power of the clan's defensive arrays.

After exchanging for several treasures, they also obtained a set of Taiyi Heaven-Sealing Formation (Formation). This formation reached the high-grade fourth-tier, and the 2 planned to deploy it around Spirit Isle Lake (Location).

Now, the spiritual vein grade of Spirit Isle Lake (Location) had reached the fourth rank, making the third-rank formation array utterly inadequate. Moreover, since Spirit Isle Lake (Location) served as the secluded cultivation ground for Eldrin (Person Name) and his dao companion, they naturally spared no expense in its enhancement.

In addition, the storage pouches of the Golden Core cultivators contained a modest amount of spirit stones and supplies.

Earlier, Eldrin had personally taken stock and discovered that the storage pouches of the Deng family trio contained over 2,000,000 spirit stones, along with several jade slips of supernatural powers and cultivation methods that held considerable value.

At this thought, Eldrin glanced at Lyra and said, "In this battle, the great immortal clans held back hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts and 40 to 50 Purple Mansion great demons. Their contribution could be said to be no less than that of 2 or 3 Golden Cores."

"In my opinion, we should also allocate some Tier 4 cultivation techniques and spiritual treasures as rewards for distribution."

"Very well, bring out several cultivation manuals and present the World Spirit Treasures for everyone to choose from."

Lyra also nodded slightly. The great clans and the Zifu cultivators were locked in such desperate struggles, all for the sake of that slim chance at a breakthrough.

In this battle, they unexpectedly slew 3 Golden Core cultivators of the Deng family and acquired a considerable number of treasures. Offering a few fourth-tier spiritual materials and cultivation methods as rewards served as tremendous encouragement for everyone.

After the meeting concluded and the treasures were distributed, Eldrin pondered for a moment before saying, "Of the Deng family's 3 Golden Core cultivators, 2 fell in battle, leaving only that old devil to escape. It seems their 2 spirit veins may soon become vacant."

"Now that we have spent considerable time reorganizing the Earth Lion Ridge, I intend to make a trip to Yan Kingdom (Location) to settle matters with the Deng Family."

Lyra nodded slightly, a flicker of movement in her pupils. "The Deng Clan's collusion with the demonic tribes is an offense punishable by death. Once we explain the circumstances to the True Monarch of the Ji Clan in Yan Kingdom, we shall hold the moral high ground."

"I understand."

Eldrin nodded. That very day, he rode his sword forth from the Earth Lion Ridge, soaring toward the direction of Yan Kingdom.

The Earthlion Ridge was over 3,000,000 li away from Yan Kingdom (Location). Even with Eldrin's (Person Name) current sword-flight speed, the journey took a full month before he finally reached Yan Kingdom (Location).

Upon arriving in Yan Kingdom, Eldrin witnessed numerous streaks of light chasing and battling across the sky. The 2 opposing sides appeared to be cultivators from the Deng Clan and the immortal alliance of Yan Kingdom.

His brow twitched slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, he immobilized the cultivators on both sides. Summoning a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he inquired, "Why is there such chaos within the Yan Kingdom (Location)? Has something happened?"

"E... Elder."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator trembled uncontrollably, casting a terrified glance at Eldrin. The aura radiating from the man before him was as vast as the sun, while his own spiritual presence resembled the faint glimmer of a firefly—the disparity between them was simply beyond measure.

At this thought, he dared not conceal the truth and couldn’t help but tremble as he spoke, “Senior, something catastrophic has happened. The foremost immortal clan of Yan Kingdom, the Deng Family (Person Name), has suddenly been struck by a great upheaval. Now, the entire nation is hunting down their cultivators.”

Eldrin's expression shifted slightly as he swiftly pieced together the whole story from the man's account.

It turned out that as early as 2 months ago, the cultivators stationed at the Deng Family Ancestral Hall had discovered that the soul lamps of 2 ancestral elders had extinguished. The Deng clan's leadership immediately realized a great calamity had likely befallen them.

Just 3 days later, all 40-some of the Deng family's Purple Mansion Elders had returned to the clan, convening an assembly of the family's senior elders.

They sensed the impending danger and, after convening a meeting to deliberate, decided to divide and relocate the clan's treasures. They then quietly concealed their cultivation bases and fled the cultivation world of Yan Kingdom.

In that case, if Old Man Deng were to perish, they would never return to Chu Kingdom (Location). But if the clan leader survived, they would wait until circumstances shifted favorably before making their way back.

They spent 7 days discreetly transferring the financial assets from their clan and various market towns, yet soon attracted the attention of major immortal families across the Yan Kingdom's cultivation world.

A Golden Core cultivator then employed his divine sense to probe the auras of the Deng Clan's 3 Ancestors. To his astonishment, he discovered that the spiritual energies of all 3 Golden Core experts had nearly dissipated—they were most likely already deceased.

Thus, overnight, the once highly esteemed cultivators of the Deng family became the most coveted prizes in the cultivation world of the Chu Kingdom.

In order to seize the wealth they carried, various great clans and rogue cultivators from the Yan Kingdom's cultivation world all launched pursuits against the Deng Clan cultivators.

Although the Deng family had several dozen Zifu cultivators, they were utterly overwhelmed when faced with the combined assault of 2 Golden Core immortal clans from Yan Kingdom and over a score of Zifu cultivators.

Many were slain by the great immortal clans, while the survivors scattered in desperate flight, becoming virtual rats scurrying across the street that everyone shouts to beat.

"This Deng Family..."

"It seems I have arrived too late."

Eldrin let out a soft sigh, though this outcome had been well within his expectations.

Once a clan discovers that their founding elder has perished abroad and there is no longer a sufficiently powerful ancestor to safeguard their lineage, the immediate transfer of assets becomes an essential skill every major immortal family’s leadership must master.

Any sane person would understand that without a Golden Core Elder to guard them, the family's treasures and resources would inevitably attract covetous eyes.

Rather than leaving resources for the enemy, it would be better to flee with the treasures—they might yet serve as capital for a comeback.

The Deng Clan had been passed down for over a 1000 years, and all along, they had relied on the prestige of being a Golden Core Immortal Clan to wreak havoc upon Yan Kingdom. Now, the time for retribution had truly arrived.

Many cultivators in the Yan Kingdom (Location) cultivation world had suffered under the Deng family's tyranny, with numerous immortal clans even being forced to offer their most talented female cultivators to the Dengs as cauldrons.

Far too many businesses had been forcibly seized by the Deng family, and countless individuals had met wrongful deaths at the hands of the Deng clan's cultivators.

The Deng Clan had now fallen on hard times, making it the perfect moment for their enemies to settle old scores. From Golden Core cultivators down to Qi Refiners, every member of the Deng Clan was being ruthlessly hunted by the great cultivation families and rogue cultivators of the Yan Kingdom's cultivation world.

By now, nearly half of the Deng Clan's cultivators had been slaughtered. Countless Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion realm experts were slain, with only a handful managing to escape.