169: Chapter 169 Qingyuan Overlord

Su Xuanheng's words exploded like a clap of thunder, triggering a wave of clamor and uproar.

The faces of the Jiang Family and Golden Feather Gang Cultivators turned as pale as paper, their blood seemingly freezing in their veins at that moment.

They had just been wondering why no one from the Jiang Family or the Golden Feather Gang had disembarked from the flying vessel; after hearing Su Xuanheng's words, they were all plunged into a daze.

The Jiang Family Head and the Golden Feather Gang Leader... are both dead?!

"Impossible!"

A roar erupted from the Jiang Family crowd.

Jiang Yishu rushed out of the crowd, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted with a trembling voice, "My father is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, how could he possibly die at your hands! The talk of besieging the Su Family is even more preposterous! Your Su Family must have used some sinister methods!"

His gaze suddenly turned to Cheng Lan, the only one present who could uphold justice, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Senior Cheng, please tell us the truth!"

These words jolted the Cultivators of the two factions awake, and all eyes turned toward her, filled with a mix of hope and a final shred of struggle.

They still harbored a glimmer of hope; how could they believe it based solely on the Su Family's word?

Perhaps this was just a frame-up by the Su Family; maybe the Family Head and the others were in danger somewhere, waiting for them to come to the rescue!

Besides, the Su Family is just a Qi Refining Family; how could they possibly kill Foundation Establishment Cultivators from two different factions?

However, facing everyone's gaze, Cheng Lan's expression was grim, and she remained silent.

To her, those before her were already dead; since their fate was sealed, why waste words on them?

"Let's go!"

Cheng Lan uttered only those three words before her figure transformed into a streak of light, dashing straight toward the Cheng Family's direction.

Seeing this, the members of the Fan Family followed her and left in silence, with no one saying a single word.

Xu Heyan of the Bihai Association stood where he was, his gaze lingering on the Su Family for a moment. A complex look flashed through his eyes, but in the end, he too remained silent, waving his hand to lead his sect's Cultivators away quietly.

In an instant, the crowd on the field dispersed.

All that remained were the Su Family Cultivators, radiating cold Killing Intent, and the frozen, trembling Cultivators of the Jiang Family and the Golden Feather Gang.

They stood there in a daze, feeling a chill down their spines, their eyes filled with emptiness and numbness.

Cheng Lan's silence was the clearest answer.

The Jiang Family and the Golden Feather Gang were finished!

Learning that the two factions had tried to besiege the Su Family within the Grotto-Heaven, Su Yang's expression was cold; he had long anticipated this.

His calm gaze swept over the pale-faced Cultivators from the Jiang Family and the Golden Feather Gang, his tone so indifferent it lacked any ripple of emotion:

"In that case, you all handle it yourselves."

The moment his voice fell, the Su Family Cultivators, who had long been prepared, suddenly charged out like arrows released from a bowstring!

The glow of sword light, Spells, and Talismans instantly shattered the tranquility of the market, and a biting Killing Intent swept through like a tide.

Jiang Yishu and the others' faces changed drastically, and they almost instinctively used Escape Techniques to flee in all directions.

Without a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to lead them, they had lost even the courage to resist, leaving only the slim, desperate hope of escaping with their lives.

Screams, explosions, and the sound of weapons cutting through the air echoed across the clearing, only to quickly fade into silence.

This one-sided slaughter lasted only a few breaths.

The Jiang Family and Golden Feather Gang Cultivators who had come to welcome their leaders were now all lying in pools of blood, devoid of life.

Su Yang's expression didn't change, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust.

He nodded slightly, and Wei Yan and Song Baiqing immediately understood.

Each leading a group of Su Family elites, the two of them sped off toward the headquarters of the Jiang Family and the Golden Feather Gang, respectively.

The bleak and murderous atmosphere was gradually dispersed by the wind.

Su Yang looked at his son, whose aura was much more profound and solid than before he left home. Concern flickered in his eyes as he asked with a smile, "You aren't injured, are you?"

Su Xuanheng shook his head with a smile. "I'm not injured. Although some of the accompanying servants suffered minor wounds, not a single person was lost."

"It's been a long journey. Go home and get some good rest."

After Su Yang finished speaking, he turned his gaze to his grandson and granddaughter.

The two little ones ran up to him excitedly, vying to show that they were completely unharmed.

Looking closely, Su Yang noticed that the auras of Xinyao and Xinyue were more steady and solid than before.

This was a temperament honed through personal experience in bloody combat.

Tempering oneself through experience was indeed the best way to forge a Cultivator, though the process was inevitably accompanied by danger.

A decision formed in Su Yang's heart: from now on, the Family must add a new rule—all Su Family children, upon reaching a certain age, must go out to gain experience.

As long as they were properly protected and casualties were minimized, the benefits of the clansmen's tempering would always outweigh the risks.

...

Night had not yet fully fallen, and a streak of blood-colored sunset glow remained on the horizon.

Led by Wei Yan and Song Baiqing, the Su Family Cultivators broke into the headquarters of the Jiang Family and the Golden Feather Gang.

Inside the Jiang Family estate, the lights flickered anxiously, and figures moved in panic.

The Protective Clan Array had just hurriedly lit up with a faint glow when it was ruthlessly split open by a biting sword beam, letting out a piercing sound like glass shattering.

Wei Yan's figure landed in the courtyard like a phantom. The Flying Sword in her sleeve hummed softly, and wherever it passed, flowers of blood bloomed silently.

Screams and the sound of collapsing structures were continuous. The once-grand pavilions and towers came crashing down amidst the roar of Spells, with dust and the scent of blood permeating the air.

At the same time, above the Golden Feather Gang headquarters, Song Baiqing stood in the air on his sword, his robes fluttering in the wind.

The members of the Golden Feather Gang fled in panic, only to be surrounded by Su Family Cultivators and Martial Artists who had long been lying in wait. Flashes of blades and shadows of swords swept through like harvesting wheat, and the fleeing figures fell in swathes.

The sounds of fighting, explosions, and wailing rose to the sky from both Qingyuans, quickly fading as time passed.

In less than an hour, when the last ripple of resistant mana completely dissipated, everything returned to a deathly silence.

Only the unextinguished fires crackled among the ruins, illuminating the mess and the corpses strewn everywhere.

Wisps of smoke rose and merged with the deepening twilight, marking the moment the two Foundation Establishment Factions of the Qingyuan Market were completely eradicated by the Su Family.

The news that the Su Family had produced two Foundation Establishment Cultivators spread through the entire market like wildfire.

In every restaurant and teahouse, whether they were Cultivators or Mortals, everyone was heatedly discussing the matter, their conversations filled with amazement and sighs of wonder.

Everyone in the market knew that the Su Family had always acted discreetly, their development hidden from view, and their commercial scale already accounted for half of Qingyuan.

But no matter how large the Su Family's commercial scale was, they were ultimately just a Qi Refining Family, forever a lamb to be slaughtered in front of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Without a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to guard them, the Su Family would eventually be unable to protect their assets.

But no one expected that this stalemate would be broken today; the Su Family had quietly cultivated two Foundation Establishment Cultivators!

One of them was Su Xuanheng's wife, and helping her Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was within the realm of reason, but the other had started as a Su Family servant, which was truly inconceivable.

After all, what Family would give Foundation Establishment resources to a servant?

Yet, the Su Family did exactly that.

The Cultivators were both shocked by the Su Family's deep foundation and couldn't help but marvel at their trust and generosity toward their clansmen and those with different surnames—even a servant had the chance to reach Foundation Establishment.

For a time, countless Cultivators secretly harbored the thought of pledging their loyalty to the Su Family.

Even setting aside that generosity, based solely on the strength and foundation the Su Family now displayed, they were the undisputed overlord of Qingyuan!

From now on, whether the various factions in the market can obtain any benefits will likely depend entirely on the Su Family's will...