Mu Rong Lao calmly stared Du Shen down before he deflected the latter's strikes aside and hammered his opponent in the chest. The eight trigrams glowed brightly under him and he unleashed colossal forces that shattered Du Shen's ribcage.
Blood spurted from Du Shen's mouth as he fell back. But before he stumbled, he chopped at Mu Rong Lao's neck. The patriarch of the Mu Rong family blocked the blow at the wrist, preventing the fuming fingers from touching his skin.
However, Du Shen managed to twist around and land a heavy palm strike onto Mu Rong Lao's side. The Mu Rong family patriarch hissed and withdrew in reflex, but not before he smashed his fist into Du Shen's face, shattering his skull.
Despite suffering such mortal injuries, Du Shen managed to laugh. Blood streaming from his squashed nose and pulped eye sockets, he chortled as he fell.
"Even though I may die here, at least I'll bring you down with me!"
Mu Rong Lao didn't hesitate, stomping on Du Shen's helpless body and pulverizing it. He glared at the bloody remains of his foe, and then staggered.
"Grandpa!" Mu Rong Shu hurried over, but he raised a hand and stopped her. With his other hand, he clutched his side, attempting to suppress the poison with his qi. Despite his best efforts, noxious fumes continued to drift from his wound.
"Keep your distance," he ordered. "I've been poisoned."
"Granddad!"
"No way!"
The other Mu Rong family members had gathered around him, but at his glare, they obediently kept their distance.
"Has the Du family been wiped out yet?" The old man asked through gritted teeth.
"Almost," Mu Rong Chun said.
"What are you waiting for, then?" Mu Rong Lao growled. "Hunt every single one of them down and kill them all! Don't let even a single one survive."
The Mu Rong family members all exchanged glances, but they nodded, realizing the wisdom of their patriarch's words. If they allowed the Du family members to escape, they might lay low for a long while and slowly rebuild to take revenge. Never mind that it was they who launched the first strike and tried to destroy the Mu Rong family first.
People tended to be irrational and frame themselves to be in the right however they wanted, conveniently ignoring the truth or interpreting it to their own liking.
"What about you, dad?" Mu Rong Hai, the father of Mu Rong Shan, asked, concerned.
"I'll be all right. I'll isolate myself for a while. I'll use my qi to suppress the poison, slow down its effects as best as I can. If possible, I'll need you guys to find the Medical Saint. Perhaps he's the only one who knows how to cure this poison."
"We will!" Mu Rong Shan promised. "Please stay strong, granddad! Hang in there!"
"Prioritize wiping out the Du family first," Mu Rong Lao ordered, perspiring visibly. He was getting paler by the second. He wiped the sweat off his face and maintained a dignified posture. "The fate of the Mu Rong family is more important than my life. You understand, we cannot allow even a single one of them to go free."
Wasn't he being too ruthless? I could understand killing the assassins, but they should leave the innocents alone. The kids…they shouldn't have to suffer the punishment that their parents brought upon their clan.
Fortunately, Mu Rong Lao wasn't that ruthless.
"Leave the children alive…hypnotize them as best as you can, and then leave them in an orphanage. But do not let them discover the truth. Do not let them know they were from the Du family. Let them live a life free from poison."
"Yes, patriarch!"
The Mu Rong family turned sharply on their heels and left, disappearing into the distance. Most likely they were pursuing the Du family. They would probably hunt the fleeing Du family assassins back to their homes.
In less than thirty seconds, I was the only one left with Mu Rong Lao. He raised his head to regard me.
"You're free to go." He bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for helping the Mu Rong family against the Du family. You didn't need to involve yourself, but you risked your life, stepping in to save my family members."
"I only did what was natural."
"Your grandmother has called off the request. You can return to the Zhao family or go wherever you want. It no longer concerns me." Mu Rong Lao turned away and hobbled back toward the Mu Rong manor. I could tell that his condition was gradually deteriorating. Whatever poison Du Shen used, it was incredibly potent.
I watched the old man disappear through the gates, which were shut by the Mu Rong family servants. I then approached the corpse of Du Shen, studying it.
"What do you think, divine dragon?" I asked. A miniature version of my spirit beast appeared beside me, then poked his snout into the corpse and sniffed it. Soon, he had an idea of what kind of poison the Du clan leader used. He turned to me and nodded, telepathically communicating with me in terms of images, touch, smell and taste rather than words.
"You sure this herbal flower will help him?" I asked, astonished. The divine dragon nodded, and I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "All right then…I'll give it a shot. It'll be dangerous, but it is worth to have the Mu Rong family owe me a favor."
Especially since I was in desperate need of allies after being backstabbed by my own family. Without any backing or people I could count on, I was in danger of being isolated. Furthermore, grandma had already proven that she had no hesitations in killing me. Now she wanted my divine dragon, so she called off the assassination for now…but once she obtained my divine dragon, she would have no use for me.
She would have no qualms ordering an assassination on me again.
If I were to lose my divine dragon, I would be much worse off than I was now. I wouldn't even be able to defend myself. That was why I needed allies…people who were willing to protect me.
And right now, I couldn't think of anyone more suitable than the Mu Rong family.
Of course, I needed to both ensure that Mu Rong Lao would still be alive to protect me and that they had a reason for doing so. Sure, I could attempt to purchase their loyalty by hiring them to kill my grandmother and then paying them double the price after I took over the Zhao family. But right now I saw a much greater opportunity to firmly establish their loyalty to me.
"All right, let's go." I turned, my divine dragon following after me by hovering over my shoulder. "Let's visit the Crimson Inferno Tomb."
The Crimson Inferno Tomb was so named because of the crimson flames that protected it. Produced by an ancient, arcane formation that was enough to reduce even the most powerful grand masters into ash, very few cultivators dared to venture near it.
I was no exception. I was highly aware of the immense risk I was taking. But as they said, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I was slowly being forced into a desperate situation, what with my family eying my divine dragon and having no hesitation to take my life. What did I have to lose?
Yeah, I had no choice but to find a new, solid backing…one whose background was powerful enough to protect me from the clutches of the Zhao family.
Adjusting my glasses, I watched the Crimson Inferno Tomb. The formation was still active, the enormous crimson flames dancing about around its entrance and forming an impenetrable blazing barrier. Anyone reckless enough to walk through those flames would be incinerated instantly.
So how would I be able to…?
"Eh? What's the matter, divine dragon?"
My divine dragon was impatiently tugging me toward the crimson inferno formation. I stared at him, baffled.
"You do know that if I go through that formation, I'll die immediately, right?"
The divine dragon shook his head and growled something. Images filled my mind telepathically and I listened for a moment before nodding.
"You'll protect me?"
My divine dragon nodded profusely. I found that I believed him unconditionally. Divine Dragon embodied the power of stars, which allowed him to produce flames that reached the level of plasma. Also known as the Celestial Dragon, or Tian Long, there was little to challenge my spirit beast in terms of divinity.
Perhaps these crimson flames wouldn't hurt him at all.
"All right, I'm counting on you."
With my divine dragon coiling around me and forming a golden barrier, I took a deep breath and walked through the flames.
First, I felt intense heat washed over me. My skin scalded and I choked, my throat suffocating from the steaming air. My vision blurred and I stumbled, throwing a hand out to steady myself. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself onward, each step painful and laborious. The shimmering haze made me want to pass out, and despite perspiring buckets, I found myself unable to cool down.
"You sure this will work?" I mumbled hoarsely, my throat parched. My divine dragon, who continued to circle me protectively, nodded. I shut my eyes and drew another shaky, scalding breath.
Yeah, my divine dragon was telling the truth. Deep down, I knew that if it weren't for my partner spirit beast, I would have long been incinerated by the flames. I was already half-dead with my divine dragon's mystical protection, but he was the only thing keeping me alive in this hellish environment.
Had I walked into the flames unguarded, I would have perished instantly. Even with the divine barrier up, I could feel how immensely powerful the flames were.
Well, I wasn't going to stay here for too long. The sooner I got out of here and directly into the tomb itself, the better.
Taking another deep breath, I pushed myself forward, and taking one step at a time, I resolutely marched toward the massive entrance of the Crimson Inferno Tomb.