AN - I will start translating another book when this book reaches 5 reviews
Soon after, someone discovered a mass grave in the back mountain of the Qingyang Sect.
If the number of bones in the cave was overwhelming, then the bodies in the mass grave were truly beyond comprehension. The comparison between the two was incomparable.
Meng Peng gazed at the countless corpses in the mass grave, his expression one of shock and emotion.
"The Qingyang Sect is quite famous in the martial arts world, but I never expected their methods to be so cruel. The number of people who died in this pit must be no less than tens of thousands!"
"Tens of thousands?" Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid that number should be multiplied several times."
After all, Patriarch Qingyang lived for hundreds of years, and the number of people he killed must be astronomical.
This alone reveals what the sects and families in the world are truly like. The Qingyang Sect is just one example—a microcosm of the wider world. If a single patriarch from a small sect has spilled this much blood, what horrors might be hidden by the more ancient powers or even the Evil Suppression Division of the imperial court?
Thoughts like these flashed through Gu Qingfeng's mind, but soon his expression returned to indifference.
"Let's go," he said calmly.
The Qingyang Sect had been destroyed. There was no reason to linger.
Half a day later, Gu Qingfeng led the Gu family guards away from the Qingyang Sect. Three hundred guards had been dispatched to the battle, and thirty to forty men had been lost. Considering the scale of the fight, this loss was remarkably low.
The Qingyang Sect had ruled over Guangyang Prefecture for many years, and the sect housed many powerful warriors. Meanwhile, the Gu family's guards were newly established and mostly composed of independent martial artists. Given these circumstances, their victory was no small feat.
Of course, this success was largely due to Gu Qingfeng himself, who single-handedly defeated the Qingyang Sect's top powerhouses. If not for him, the 300 guards wouldn't have stood a chance, no matter how skilled they were. Even if there had been 3,000 guards, they still would've been no match for the Qingyang Sect's might.
Gu Qingfeng led the Gu family guards back to Baishi City. News of their return quickly spread, shaking the entire Baishi Road.
Rumors had circulated earlier that the Gu family's target this time was the Qingyang Sect. Now, with the warriors returning—many injured or slain—it was clear they had faced fierce battles.
The fact that so many Gu family members had returned alive made people wonder: Had the Qingyang Sect been destroyed?
This possibility left many shocked.
The Qingyang Sect wasn't like the Qin family's Tiegu Gang. In all of Guangyang Prefecture, it was a large and powerful sect, boasting warriors at the Bone Refining Realm, with more than one such expert in their ranks. No matter how strong the Gu family was, they shouldn't have been a match for the Qingyang Sect.
The more people thought about this, the more confusion and shock spread through the region. However, one thing was now clear: with the return of Gu family's elite fighters, all those who had been contemplating moves against them now paused in their tracks.
Regardless of the details of the Gu family's battle with the Qingyang Sect, in Baishidao, the Gu family had clearly emerged victorious.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng remained indifferent to the outside chatter. When he returned home, Xu Yulan had been waiting for him. As soon as she saw him enter, her expression softened with obvious relief.
"You're back," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion. Thousands of words condensed into a single sentence.
Gu Qingfeng nodded. "I'm back. And I have something for you."
"What is it?" Xu Yulan asked, her expression curious.
Gu Qingfeng said nothing more and went to wash up. Afterward, he shared a quiet, intimate moment with Xu Yulan.
Later, Gu Qingfeng took out a bottle of pills.
"These are Realm-Breaking Pills," he explained. "They're effective for warriors below the Blood Refining Realm. There are seven pills in this bottle, and I believe they will be enough to help you reach the peak of Blood Refining."
Originally, Gu Qingfeng had intended to give the Realm-Breaking Pills to Gu Yang. However, after understanding the true effects of the pills, he changed his mind.
It was simple: even though his descendants could break through their realms using the pills granted by his panel, Gu Qingfeng himself didn't receive any rewards from these breakthroughs. So, he gave up on the idea of creating a "nesting doll" effect.
Instead, Xu Yulan became the recipient of the pills. Xu Yulan was still in the early stages of Skin Refining, and her martial arts progress had lagged behind his own. These pills would help her keep up.
Xu Yulan's talent in martial arts was average at best. Without some intervention, she might never be able to break through to the Blood Refining Realm. Even if she somehow managed to force her way through, her future potential would be extremely limited.
The Realm-Breaking Pills, however, were different. They didn't weaken a warrior's foundation. Even after using them, her progress would be as solid as if she had cultivated the strength on her own.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yulan's face changed slightly. She immediately shook her head, refusing the gift.
"My talent is poor," she said. "It would be a waste for me to use such a treasure. It would be better to leave it for Yang'er. He has extraordinary martial arts talent, and with these pills, he could save a lot of time in breaking through to the Bone Refining Realm. It would ease your burden in the future."
"Yang'er has his own path to walk," Gu Qingfeng replied, shaking his head. "Your talent is weaker. Without the pills, your future potential is limited. While warriors can extend their lifespan, those at the Skin Refining Realm are still not much different from ordinary people."
He handed the bottle of Realm-Breaking Pills to Xu Yulan, then taught her the Fiery Sun Palm and the Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique. The former was an excellent foundation-building martial art. Once Xu Yulan mastered it, even with her mediocre talent, she could eventually break through to the Bone Refining Realm.
This was why Gu Qingfeng held the Fiery Sun Palm in such high regard. In his eyes, it was superior to many top-tier martial arts. Few other techniques could help someone improve their Bone Refinement level on their own.
Xu Yulan accepted the gift without further protest. The opportunity to grow stronger was too good to pass up, and while she had spent many years focusing on family, the allure of martial arts was ever-present in a world where strength mattered.
The next day, Gu Qingfeng focused on handling the affairs of the Gu family.
The destruction of the Qingyang Sect yielded a massive haul of martial arts manuals and resources, including five thousand taels of gold. This was an excellent gain.
Last time, Gu Qingfeng used three thousand taels of gold to create a golden coffin to seal the shadow ghost. Now, with an additional five thousand taels, the Gu family had the resources to seal future evil spirits if necessary.
"Gold is essential for sealing," Gu Qingfeng mused. "Next time, we might not need to be as extravagant as making an entire golden coffin. As long as we can trap the spirit within, that will be sufficient."
Five thousand taels of gold opened up many future possibilities for the Gu family.