"Shi Jingcheng, hand over the items. Otherwise, you won't escape today!"
"Shi Jingcheng, you have no way out. Your death doesn't matter, but think about your only daughter!"
One by one, they all issued threatening words to Shi Jingcheng. Even those who stood on his side had gleaming eyes, evidently tempted by those two items. On the Tianlin Continent, condensing a Golden Core was an immensely challenging task, and the difficulty was multiplied a hundredfold. While Black Abyss Flame Marrow might be dispensable, the Pure Profound Mystic Ginseng stirred the desires of every Foundation Establishment cultivator present.
"Head of the Shi family, sorry, I'm quitting!"
As the situation became increasingly unfavorable, Fang Wangru timely withdrew. He was equally tempted by these two treasures, but he was well aware that obtaining either one would lead him into a situation similar to Shi Jingcheng. Ultimately, he would be torn to pieces by these covetous cultivators. Since he had brought students out, he couldn't evade responsibility for them.
"Protect Yanyan for me!" Shi Jingcheng, bleeding from seven orifices, exerted his strength to send his son Shi Wangru away. He knew he wouldn't survive, but he hoped his daughter could find refuge in the Heavenly Mansion Academy. As for himself, even in death, he wanted to drag these scapegoats down with him. "Ah ah ah!!! You scoundrels, bury the Shi family for us! Come out!"
Shi Jingcheng was knocked down by someone, but he desperately climbed back up, resembling a madman as he shouted towards the sky. His body burst open in multiple places, continuously spewing blood. In a short time, he turned into a blood-soaked figure. Yet, some didn't stop their attacks, and in an instant, Shi Jingcheng was left with half a life.
As if a sea of blood, the blood flowing on the ground suddenly decreased. Fang Wangru, who had retreated to the side, realized what Shi Jingcheng was about to do. He turned and ran towards Jiang Yan and the others, shouting, "Quick, leave this place! Hurry!"
Jiang Yan and the others naturally knew they couldn't contend with those cultivators. Even a prominent existence like the Shi family had been plotted against and suffered a tragic fate. So, hearing Fang Wangru's call, they immediately turned to run, scooping up Shi Yanyan from the ground.
"No, Dad, don't, Dad..." Shi Yanyan screamed frantically.
Just as others hesitated due to Fang Wangru's actions, suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Before they could react, there was a booming sound, and the entire ground exploded, surging out countless blood vines. One thick blood vine pierced through Shi Jingcheng's heart, lifting him high.
Strangely, at this moment, Shi Jingcheng didn't die. He continued to laugh manically, "Come on, Black Abyss Flame Marrow and Pure Profound Mystic Ginseng are right here with me. Come and take them! Yanyan, Dad is sorry, revenge for Dad on your own. Yanyan, you must live well."
"No—Dad—"
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Continuous bursts of blood vines, yet more vines sprouted instantly. Glancing backward, they could see that the sky and the ground were completely covered with blood vines. Some tried to escape, but Shi Jingcheng tossed out two items. The next moment, those people turned back fearlessly to snatch them. Those two items were precisely the Black Abyss Flame Marrow and Pure Profound Mystic Ginseng.
"Haha..."
The maniacal laughter of Shi Jingcheng could still be heard. However, Shi Yanyan wept bitterly, with even bloody tears flowing down her face. Shi Jingcheng, unable to survive, not only offered his flesh and blood but even his soul as a sacrifice to the Bloodvine of Heavenly Devouring. At this moment, the ancestral land of the Shi family had become a complete hell.
Changye Chi followed closely behind Fang Wangru with Gu Yao. For some reason, the blood vines avoided them, allowing them to fly out without hindrance.
Suddenly, Changye Chi's pupils contracted. There were holes in the storage bag on his body, and a black shadow flashed by. Looking back, he saw a figure agilely leaping through the gaps in the blood vines until it disappeared from sight.
Changye Chi turned his head back and continued to rush out. He didn't bother investigating the origin of that black shadow. At this moment, his and Gu Yao's lives were more important.
This scene went unnoticed by everyone except him, not even Gu Yao, who was close to him.
Fang Wangru, leading the students, forcefully rushed out of the secret area and arrived outside. They stopped there. Currently, there were also cultivators guarding the outside. Seeing them come out, they came over to inquire. Some even wanted to snatch Shi Yanyan, but Fang Wangru stopped them, stating that Shi Jingcheng was inside. If they had the ability, they could go inside and find Shi Jingcheng. Why bother with a girl whose limbs were already useless?
Gu Yao had participated in the Ascension Grand Competition in the Ten Directions City, so he recognized quite a few familiar faces, such as Master Yan Yang from the North Star Sect, and disciples from the Qianxue Sect and the Cuiyan Valley. Of course, most of them were unfamiliar faces.
Quite a few people were rushing here, and some entered the secret area without listening to advice.
"Gu Yao, Changye? It's really you. Did my second brother not come? Is he okay?" Tianhaimen was far away, but they received the news and rushed over, although they were the slowest. Tian Feiyang also followed, searching everywhere. He was delighted to see Gu Yao and Changye. After saying a word to Tian Ru, he came over.
Gu Yao was happy to see him too. He pulled Changye Chi aside to talk. "Second Brother is doing well at the academy. Brother Tian, you don't need to worry. Joining a sect really makes a difference. Brother Tian, your cultivation has greatly improved."
Knowing that his second brother was in good condition, Tian Feiyang was in a great mood. He came out just to broaden his horizons and gain experience, not for the treasures. He didn't have the qualifications to contend for them. If it wasn't for his aunt, he wouldn't even have secured a spot to come out and gain experience.
"Casual, not as much as you and Changye..." Tian Feiyang paused when he got here. He hadn't had a chance to observe it before, but now he noticed Gu Yao's cultivation. Then he stammered, "Gu Yao, you've reached the sixth layer of Qi Refinement? About to break through?"
When Gu Yao was in the Ten Directions City, he was at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, and with his aptitude, it was impressive enough. However, others thought it would be difficult for him to make progress. Yet, after just half a year, he had made a breakthrough again and was on the verge of another. Advancing to the next stage would make him a high-level Qi Refinement cultivator. Even Tian Feiyang himself was stuck at this bottleneck, which was much more challenging than breaking through from the fifth layer to the sixth.
Gu Yao smiled. "Yes, you forgot what I'm good at. A few more pills, and my cultivation will go up."
Tian Feiyang curled his lips. He found it hard to believe Gu Yao's words. Clearly, Gu Yao himself was the strange one. Although he was shocked, most of his emotions afterward were joy. The stronger Gu Yao and Changye Chi became, the higher their status at the Heavenly Mansion Academy, and the better they could protect his second brother. Especially when he heard Gu Yao say that he and Changye Chi had opened a shop selling pills and talismans, with his second brother and a guy called Wei Zhengfei managing it, Tian Feiyang was even more pleased.
"Thanks to you and Brother Chang, with you around, I can rest assured about my second brother. I brought some things out. There are some for you and Brother Chang. The rest, please take care of my sister Feirong and that chubby guy named Wei Zhengfei. It's nothing valuable, just specialties from the Tianhaimen side." Tian Feiyang quickly took out the things he had prepared. Originally, he had thought that if he could meet someone he knew, it would be even better. If not, he could only go back without gaining much. He would seize the opportunity next time.
Gu Yao was also happy for Tian Feirong. It was evident that this big brother had genuine feelings for his second brother, without any pretense. Since Tian Feiyang and his second brother were fine, Gu Yao secretly handed over the elixirs and other items Tian Feiyang had prepared, letting him check them after leaving.
Presumably, the next time they met, Brother Tian would definitely become an advanced Qi Refinement cultivator.
Fang Wangru had originally planned to stay outside for at most two days, but unexpectedly, half a day later, abnormalities occurred at the exit. Fang Wangru, along with the disciples, retreated far back upon seeing the opened exit. Several shadowy figures stumbled out, and numerous blood vines tried to pull them back into the secret place. Soon, the exit was occupied by the devouring blood vines, and no one else escaped. Close by, one could hear the unsettling sound of blood vines seemingly gnawing on something.
"The Elder of the Northern Star Sect!" A practitioner, missing an arm and appearing aged, said. He was said to be a cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, lacking only the final step of forming the Core.
"The Elder of the Seven Stars Sect!" This person, narrowly escaping danger, fell headlong and was swiftly caught and brought back by other Seven Stars Sect members.
"That's Elder He from the Ten Directions City!" This person was on the verge of dying, nearly pulled back by the blood vines.
Only a few managed to escape alive. After waiting for a while without seeing anyone else emerge, the practitioners present understood that those inside were unlikely to survive. The ancestral grounds of the Stone family had become the grave for dozens of cultivators, with Foundation Establishment cultivators comprising the majority.
The group led by a cultivator surnamed Zhao, who had been with Gu Yao all along, didn't show up at all. It was evident they remained inside, given the intense confrontation between Stone Jingcheng, Zhao, and others seen before.
The practitioners fell into silence for a while. Suddenly, someone spoke, "What about the Black Abyss Marrow? What about the Pure Void Mystic Fern? Who has these two treasures now?"
"Hmph," someone chuckled, diverting everyone's attention. It turned out to be the Elder of the Northern Star Sect. He weakly surveyed the surroundings and said, "The Pure Void Mystic Fern was torn apart on the spot by those demon vines. As for the Black Abyss Marrow, it was long engulfed by those demon vines. If you search inside now, maybe you'll find it. I wish you all good luck. The Northern Star Sect is not involved; we're leaving."
The Northern Star Sect left first, not causing trouble for Stone Jingcheng anymore. Fang Wangru, seeing this, also wanted to leave, but several sects blocked him, insisting on keeping Stone Jingcheng: "This disaster originated from his Stone family. This girl must explain. Or is it that your Tianfu Academy wants to monopolize the benefits of the Stone family?"
"Yes, so many fellow cultivators were cruelly killed by Stone Jingcheng. Anyone can leave, but this girl of Stone Jingcheng cannot!"
Fang Wangru, with a fiery temper, retorted, "The disaster arose because of what? Ask yourselves. The mistake of the Stone family lies in possessing treasures without the corresponding strength, leading to suspicion. The once-grand Stone family now has only this bloodline left, and you're unwilling to let it go?"