It was late at night, and Gao Family Manor had quieted down.
Inside Gao Yucheng's room, the lights were still on. However, at this moment, several masked figures had entered his room.
"Gao Yucheng, how is the situation?" one of the masked figures asked coldly.
Gao Yucheng's face turned grim as he replied, "That old man asked me to find the renowned physician Wu Jing from Nanyang City."
"This Wu Jing does have some skills. He actually identified the mixed poison in Gao Yuzhi's body, almost ruining our plans," Gao Yucheng continued.
"Fortunately, Wu Jing is just a physician and cannot detoxify the poison. That has worked in our favor," he added.
"I suspect the old man is about to make a desperate move and use that method. He will never let Gao Yuzhi die," Gao Yucheng's eyes flashed with a sinister glint.
"Don't worry, the mixed poison we prepared cannot be cured by a mere physician," one of the masked figures assured.
"You should keep an eye on Gao Zanhu. If he makes any moves, you must follow him and find that item," Gao Yucheng ordered.
After that, the masked figures disappeared as if they had never been there.
Gao Yucheng watched them vanish, a cold smile forming on his lips. "Do they take me for a fool? Let's see who the real fool is."
Then, he pushed open the door and disappeared into the night.
Inside his room, Lu Changsheng had practiced the Icy Bone Forging Technique a few times before lying down to rest.
"Rustling."
Faintly, Lu Changsheng seemed to hear an unusual sound.
"Whoosh."
Lu Changsheng instantly opened his eyes.
He listened carefully, then raised his head to look at the ceiling. Clearly, the sound was coming from above.
Furrowing his brows slightly, Lu Changsheng realized that there were people walking on the roof of Gao Family Manor at this late hour, trying to avoid being noticed by the Gao family members.
Having come to Gao Family Manor, Lu Changsheng had brought a black cloth and night attire with him. After a moment's thought, he changed into the night attire, covered his face with the black cloth, and silently slipped out of his room.
With his extensive training in various martial techniques, he possessed the skill of moving stealthily. He moved without making a sound.
Lu Changsheng climbed onto the roof, where he saw several figures moving discreetly towards the main residence of the manor.
He decided to follow them.
Inside the main residence, Gao Zanhu took a deep breath and picked up the unconscious Gao Yuzhi.
"Yuzhi, it won't be long now. You will soon wake up and be as good as new. Everything will be alright," Gao Zanhu whispered to Gao Yuzhi.
He left the room while carrying Gao Yuzhi and headed towards the ancestral house.
Beneath the ancestral house's memorial tablets, there was a mechanism. Gao Zanhu activated it.
"Rumble."
The memorial tablets unexpectedly split apart, revealing a dark entrance in the wall.
Gao Zanhu quickly entered.
Shortly after Gao Zanhu entered, Gao Yucheng arrived. He looked at the entrance with a fanatic and sinister glint in his eyes.
"Old man, you are indeed persistent, wanting to save Gao Yuzhi using that method."
"However, I'm also your son..."
Gao Yucheng muttered under his breath, his voice filled with resentment.
In the next moment, Gao Yucheng entered the entrance.
Inside the passage, it was pitch-black.
But Gao Zanhu seemed to be familiar with it and made his way to an underground hall.
He lit a candle, gradually illuminating the hall.
It was an enormous hall.
Numerous secret chambers surrounded the hall, each filled with various weapons, including swords, spears, crossbows, and even armor.
The imperial court strictly regulated weapons, let alone armor. Owning armor in secret was considered treason!
However, there was an abundance of armor in the secret chambers, enough to arm hundreds of men. Strangely, Gao Zanhu seemed indifferent to all these weapons.
He pressed a spot on the wall in one of the secret chambers.
"Click."
A hidden compartment appeared on the wall, and Gao Zanhu retrieved a box from it.
He placed the box beside Gao Yuzhi and gently opened it.
"Snap."
The box opened to reveal a blood-red pearl. The pearl was the size of a thumb and adorned with delicate patterns, giving it a mysterious appearance.
Seeing this blood-red pearl, Gao Zanhu's eyes also revealed a hint of fanaticism.
"Yuzhi, this is the most precious treasure of the Gao family, the Blood Exchange Pearl!"
"Once you use the Blood Exchange Pearl, you will gradually undergo a transformation, even the most potent poison can be neutralized."
"And with your talent, once you use the Blood Exchange Pearl, there is a high probability of breaking through the Life and Death Threshold, exchanging marrow and blood, and achieving the Divine Power Realm! Father hesitated initially, not giving it to you sooner. Otherwise, if you had reached the Divine Power Realm, who would dare to poison you?"
"But now, it's not too late..."
Gao Zanhu took a deep breath and was about to use the Blood Exchange Pearl on Gao Yuzhi.
"Swoosh."
Just then, a figure appeared in the underground hall.
"Who?"
Gao Zanhu abruptly raised his head, his gaze as sharp as a blade, fixing on the figure not far away.
"Is it you... Yucheng?"
Gao Zanhu widened his eyes, seeming surprised and shocked.
"Father, it's me."
"You indeed have the Blood Exchange Pearl. This treasure allows a martial artist to exchange blood, essentially allowing them to step halfway into the Divine Power Realm. Such a precious item, and you want to give it to a person who is comatose and on the brink of death?" Gao Yucheng taunted.
"Father, have you lost your mind?"
Gao Yuzhi's expression turned menacing.
"Silence!"
"Tell me, how did you get in?"
"Did you follow me?"
"Son, only the past heads of the family can enter this place. You..."
Gao Zanhu couldn't contain his anger.
However, as he spoke, he seemed to recall something and stopped abruptly. Instead, he widened his eyes, a look of astonishment crossing his face.
Gao Yucheng remained composed and even smiled slightly, saying, "Father, it seems you've figured it out."
"Indeed, the poison that affected Big Brother was my doing. It wasn't just Big Brother; I poisoned all those in Gao Family Manor who were affected."
Gao Zanhu's chest heaved violently as he gritted his teeth and asked, word by word, "Son, why? Why did you do this? He is your older brother!"
"Why? Hahaha, old man, you know perfectly well why. Our Gao family originated from the Five Poisons Sect. However, when the Five Poisons Sect rebelled and was suppressed by the imperial court, it fell apart and dissipated more than a hundred years ago. Why do you still cling to this useless ancestral tradition?"
"Over these years, you've been determined to amass strength, forging weapons and armor. Isn't that preparation for rebellion?"
"Nowadays, it's not like it was over a hundred years ago. The Five Poisons Sect has long since vanished, yet you insist on rebelling. Isn't this condemning everyone in Gao Family Manor to death?"
"I won't let you use their lives to fulfill your ambitions! Furthermore, Big Brother is your beloved son. You poured all your effort, resources, and affection into him, but what about me? I'm also your son!"
"All of the above, I could overlook. But you want to use the Blood Exchange Pearl on Big Brother, don't you? It's probably the last one we have, right? You're giving it to someone on the brink of death and not giving it to me. Old man, since you're unkind, don't blame your son for being unfilial!"
Gao Yucheng's energy surged.
At the same time, he slowly drew the knife in his hand!