123: Chapter 123 Troops Approach the Wang Family, Overpowering the Powerful Families

"You shouldn't have come back," Ji Haoyue said, shaking his head.

"The kings of the Ancient Races have been looking for you."

"Then let them come. I fear nothing!" Chu Qingqiu said with high spirits, his eyes shining with brilliance.

"By the way, were you guys forced into a marriage by that fellow Wang Teng?" Chu Qingqiu asked curiously. He had overheard some information earlier, but it wasn't complete.

"Wang Teng demanded to marry Ziyue under the guise of exchanging Emperor Scriptures. Many in the Ji Family were tempted by Great Emperor Luangu's peerless Emperor Scripture. Moreover, Wang Teng holds the title of Northern Emperor and is a peerless Prodigy, so they were willing to marry Ziyue off for the alliance."

"But Ziyue herself is unwilling. Since that's the case, as her older brother, I must fulfill her wish no matter what."

Ji Haoyue's lips were stained with blood. He took out a Spirit Medicine several thousand years old and consumed it to recover from his injuries.

"If you ask me, although that Wang Teng isn't as good as I am, he can still be considered a Prodigy of remarkable talent. Why is Miss Ziyue unwilling to marry him?" Chu Qingqiu looked at Ji Ziyue curiously.

Ji Ziyue's large eyes seemed to speak for themselves. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered, and a look of anger appeared on her delicate face as she said, "Do you really want me to marry that Wang Teng so badly?!"

"I have to say, Miss Ziyue, you made a wise choice. If you really married Wang Teng, you'd probably be a widow for the rest of your life," Chu Qingqiu said with a smile.

Ji Haoyue was somewhat shocked and asked, "Are you planning to kill Wang Teng?!"

"That is exactly my intention," Chu Qingqiu replied calmly.

Wang Teng possessed the Legacy of Great Emperor Luangu and the Qian Script, one of the Nine Secrets. This Qian Script could Cultivate the Primordial Spirit and shared similarities with the Spirit Art of Spirit Valley. If Cultivated to a profound level, Chu Qingqiu could even achieve Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body, killing people invisibly from ten thousand miles away!

More importantly, when the Qian Script is Cultivated to a high level, one can even foresee the future. The world of Shrouding the Heavens had already undergone many changes because of his arrival, so the original plot couldn't be fully trusted. A butterfly flapping its wings over the sea could cause a massive storm on the other side, let alone a person as significant as him.

If he could glimpse the future through the Qian Script, he could make corresponding adjustments to better deal with what was to come.

"I am heading to the Northern Plains this time to destroy the Wang Family. What are your plans, you two siblings?"

Ji Ziyue looked at Chu Qingqiu and then at Ji Haoyue, hesitating to speak. Her large eyes, full of Spiritual Qi, were filled with indecision.

Ji Haoyue seemed to see through Ji Ziyue's thoughts and said, "Now that we siblings have escaped from the Ji Family, I'm afraid the Ji Family can no longer accommodate us. If you don't mind, we'd like to follow you."

"Follow me?" Chu Qingqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible, but you shouldn't enter the Wang Family's sphere of influence. The Wang Family is, after all, an Ancient Family. Given your strength, it would be too dangerous if you get too close to the Wang Family."

"After the Wang Family matter is settled, I'll send them to the Southern Ridge," Chu Qingqiu thought to himself.

Afterward, the three used a mysterious jade platform to reach a nearby great sect and borrowed their domain gate teleportation array. Under Chu Qingqiu's formidable strength, these great sects respectfully allowed him to use their domain gate teleportation array.

After some time, Chu Qingqiu finally arrived in the Northern Plains. Compared to the East, the Northern Plains were more desolate and sparsely populated, only slightly better than the Western Desert among the five regions of the world.

The three arrived at a city not far from the Wang Family's ancestral land. Chu Qingqiu instructed, "You stay here. Once I've dealt with the Wang Family, I'll come back and take you to the Southern Ridge. The Demon Emperor Palace in the Southern Ridge is under my influence; you can stay there safely."

Ji Haoyue said in shock, "The Demon Emperor Palace is actually your influence? In recent years, the Demon Emperor Palace has been flourishing, developing better and better. It's even a level higher than the likes of the War God Palace, almost arguably the number one power in the Southern Ridge. The Palace Master of the Demon Emperor Palace, Southern Demon Qi Lin, has almost one foot in the King Realm, and his strength is heaven-shaking."

"A few years ago, I did the Southern Demon a great favor, and he was willing to become my subordinate. Therefore, the Demon Emperor Palace also became my influence," Chu Qingqiu explained with a smile.

Ji Ziyue stayed by Ji Haoyue's side, keeping her head down and remaining silent like a quiet gourd, losing her usual liveliness and agility.

"I'll be back soon; it won't take long. Just stay here in this inn at peace," Chu Qingqiu said. Then, he rode a Divine Rainbow and headed toward the Wang Family's ancestral land.

Ji Ziyue watched Chu Qingqiu's receding figure, a look of gloom appearing on her pretty face.

"Ziyue, is it because of him that you'd rather die than marry Wang Teng?" Ji Haoyue also saw through Ji Ziyue's thoughts.

Ji Ziyue's small hands tightly gripped the corner of her skirt. Tears welled up in her lively large eyes as she pursed her lips and said nothing.

"Sigh..." Ji Haoyue sighed. He had grown up with Ji Ziyue; how could he not understand his own sister?

It seemed he had guessed correctly. Then again, for a Prodigy like Chu Qingqiu, what woman wouldn't like him? If he were a woman, he'd probably fall for Chu Qingqiu too.

Not to mention, Chu Qingqiu had saved Ji Ziyue.

"Ziyue, Seventh Brother can't help you with this kind of thing. However, I can give you a suggestion: if you really like him, you must express your feelings. Otherwise, in the future, you'll only be able to watch him marry someone else while you weep silently in a dark room alone," Ji Haoyue said.

"I don't dare to say it. The current me isn't worthy of him." Ji Ziyue was dressed in purple, looking about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, and her eyes were filled with Spiritual Qi. She was very beautiful, as moving as an elf under the night moon, still looking the same as years ago. However, things had changed; even if it was the same person with the same appearance, her state of mind had already undergone a world-shaking transformation.

"My, Ji Haoyue's, sister is worthy of anyone, let alone Chu Qingqiu—even an Emperor!" Ji Haoyue encouraged.

Ji Ziyue burst into laughter, crying and laughing at the same time. "Even though Seventh Brother was beaten so badly by him, you're still talking big. How shameless."

Ji Haoyue coughed twice in embarrassment and said, "That's not important. What's important is that you, Ziyue, are not inferior to anyone."

"I'll think about it seriously. Thank you, Seventh Brother." With Ji Haoyue's encouragement, Ji Ziyue felt some comfort in her heart.

"It's for the best if you can see reason."

...

Meanwhile, Chu Qingqiu had already arrived outside the Wang Family's ancestral land.

The Wang Family's ancestral land floated in the sky, obscured by white clouds. Without careful observation, it was almost impossible to notice people living there.

Ancient war palaces and small floating cities stood in the air, forming an immortal defense.

"Halt! What are you doing here?!"

The Wang Family guards at the main gate noticed Chu Qingqiu and shouted loudly.

Chu Qingqiu said with a smile, "I'm here to deliver death."

"You shouldn't have come back," Ji Haoyue said, shaking his head.

"The kings of the Ancient Races have been looking for you."

"Then let them come. I fear nothing!" Chu Qingqiu said with high spirits, his eyes shining with brilliance.

"By the way, were you guys forced into a marriage by that fellow Wang Teng?" Chu Qingqiu asked curiously. He had overheard some information earlier, but it wasn't complete.

"Wang Teng demanded to marry Ziyue under the guise of exchanging Emperor Scriptures. Many in the Ji Family were tempted by Great Emperor Luangu's peerless Emperor Scripture. Moreover, Wang Teng holds the title of Northern Emperor and is a peerless Prodigy, so they were willing to marry Ziyue off for the alliance."

"But Ziyue herself is unwilling. Since that's the case, as her older brother, I must fulfill her wish no matter what."

Ji Haoyue's lips were stained with blood. He took out a Spirit Medicine several thousand years old and consumed it to recover from his injuries.

"If you ask me, although that Wang Teng isn't as good as I am, he can still be considered a Prodigy of remarkable talent. Why is Miss Ziyue unwilling to marry him?" Chu Qingqiu looked at Ji Ziyue curiously.

Ji Ziyue's large eyes seemed to speak for themselves. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered, and a look of anger appeared on her delicate face as she said, "Do you really want me to marry that Wang Teng so badly?!"

"I have to say, Miss Ziyue, you made a wise choice. If you really married Wang Teng, you'd probably be a widow for the rest of your life," Chu Qingqiu said with a smile.

Ji Haoyue was somewhat shocked and asked, "Are you planning to kill Wang Teng?!"

"That is exactly my intention," Chu Qingqiu replied calmly.

Wang Teng possessed the Legacy of Great Emperor Luangu and the Qian Script, one of the Nine Secrets. This Qian Script could Cultivate the Primordial Spirit and shared similarities with the Spirit Art of Spirit Valley. If Cultivated to a profound level, Chu Qingqiu could even achieve Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body, killing people invisibly from ten thousand miles away!

More importantly, when the Qian Script is Cultivated to a high level, one can even foresee the future. The world of Shrouding the Heavens had already undergone many changes because of his arrival, so the original plot couldn't be fully trusted. A butterfly flapping its wings over the sea could cause a massive storm on the other side, let alone a person as significant as him.

If he could glimpse the future through the Qian Script, he could make corresponding adjustments to better deal with what was to come.

"I am heading to the Northern Plains this time to destroy the Wang Family. What are your plans, you two siblings?"

Ji Ziyue looked at Chu Qingqiu and then at Ji Haoyue, hesitating to speak. Her large eyes, full of Spiritual Qi, were filled with indecision.

Ji Haoyue seemed to see through Ji Ziyue's thoughts and said, "Now that we siblings have escaped from the Ji Family, I'm afraid the Ji Family can no longer accommodate us. If you don't mind, we'd like to follow you."

"Follow me?" Chu Qingqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible, but you shouldn't enter the Wang Family's sphere of influence. The Wang Family is, after all, an Ancient Family. Given your strength, it would be too dangerous if you get too close to the Wang Family."

"After the Wang Family matter is settled, I'll send them to the Southern Ridge," Chu Qingqiu thought to himself.

Afterward, the three used a mysterious jade platform to reach a nearby great sect and borrowed their domain gate teleportation array. Under Chu Qingqiu's formidable strength, these great sects respectfully allowed him to use their domain gate teleportation array.

After some time, Chu Qingqiu finally arrived in the Northern Plains. Compared to the East, the Northern Plains were more desolate and sparsely populated, only slightly better than the Western Desert among the five regions of the world.

The three arrived at a city not far from the Wang Family's ancestral land. Chu Qingqiu instructed, "Stay here. Once I've dealt with the Wang Family, I'll come back and take you to Nanling. The Demon Emperor Palace in Nanling is my territory, so you can stay there with peace of mind."

Ji Haoyue said in shock, "The Demon Emperor Palace is actually your territory? In recent years, the Demon Emperor Palace has been flourishing more and more. Its development is a level above the likes of the War God Palace, making it arguably the number one power in Nanling. The palace master, Southern Demon Qi Lin, has practically one foot in the King Realm, and his strength is truly heaven-shaking."

"I did the South Demon a huge favor a few years ago, and he was willing to become my subordinate, which is why the Demon Emperor Palace became my territory," Chu Qingqiu explained with a smile.

Ji Ziyue stayed by Ji Haoyue's side, keeping her small head down and remaining silent like a brooding gourd, having lost her usual lively and spirited nature.

"I'll be back shortly. It won't take long. Just stay here at this inn with peace of mind." With that, Chu Qingqiu took to a Divine Rainbow and rushed toward the Wang Family's ancestral land.

Ji Ziyue watched Chu Qingqiu's departing figure, a look of gloom appearing on her pretty face.

"Ziyue, is he the reason you'd rather die than marry Wang Teng?" Ji Haoyue had also seen through Ji Ziyue's thoughts.

Ji Ziyue's small hands tightly gripped the corners of her skirt, tears welled up in her spirited large eyes, and she pursed her lips, not saying a word.

"Sigh~" Ji Haoyue let out a sigh. Having grown up with Ji Ziyue since childhood, how could he not understand his own sister?

It seemed he had guessed correctly. Then again, what woman wouldn't fall for a monstrous Prodigy like Chu Qingqiu? If he were a woman, he would probably have fallen for Chu Qingqiu as well.

Not to mention, Chu Qingqiu had even saved Ji Ziyue.

"Ziyue, your Seventh Brother can't help you with this sort of thing, but I can give you a piece of advice. If you really like him, then you must express your feelings. Otherwise, in the future, you'll only be able to watch him marry someone else while you weep silently in a dark room," Ji Haoyue said.

"I don't dare to say it. The current me isn't worthy of him." Ji Ziyue, dressed in purple, looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. With her curved eyebrows and eyes brimming with Spiritual Qi, she was extremely beautiful, moving like an elf under the night moon. She still looked the same as she did years ago, but things had long since changed; even if the person and appearance were the same, her state of mind had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

"My, Ji Haoyue's, sister is worthy of anyone, let alone Chu Qingqiu—even a Great Emperor!" Ji Haoyue encouraged.

Ji Ziyue burst into a laugh, crying and laughing at the same time as she said, "Even though Seventh Brother was beaten so miserably by him, you're still talking big. How shameless."

Ji Haoyue coughed twice in embarrassment and said, "That's not important. What's important is that you, Ziyue, are no worse than anyone else."

"I'll think about it. Thank you, Seventh Brother." With Ji Haoyue's encouragement, Ji Ziyue felt somewhat comforted.

"It's for the best that you can see reason."

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chu Qingqiu had already arrived outside the Wang Family's ancestral land.

The Wang Family's ancestral land floated high in the sky, obscured by white clouds; one would hardly notice anyone living there without careful observation.

Ancient war palacess and floating miniature cities stood tall in the air, serving as an immortal defense.

"Halt! What are you doing here?!"

The Wang Family guards at the main gate spotted Chu Qingqiu and immediately shouted.

Chu Qingqiu smiled and said, "I'm here to deliver death."

The two guards were stunned, then burst into laughter. "Wonders never cease these days. To think someone would actually come to our door to deliver their own death. Fine, then this lord will satisfy you!"

One of the Wang Family guards wore a bloodthirsty smile as he thrust his spear toward Chu Qingqiu.

With a "Clang!", the spear made of profound iron shattered instantly. The Wang Family guard froze on the spot, his face filled with terror as he asked, "What kind of monster are you?!"

Chu Qingqiu didn't bother wasting any more words with them. With a wave of his hand, two pools of blood appeared on the spot.

"I told you I was here to deliver death, yet you didn't run. Delivering death, delivering death—delivering you to your deaths!" Chu Qingqiu walked into the Wang Family's complex of buildings and palaces as if taking a stroll in a courtyard.

Chu Qingqiu slaughtered many "small fry" along the way. Some of them managed to sound the alarm, and the loud ringing of a bell echoed throughout the entire Wang Family.

"Enemy attack!"

"Quickly notify the Family Head!"

Chu Qingqiu broke through the defenses at a single point. Since the Wang Family's Ancient Saint Formation was not fully activated, it could not withstand Chu Qingqiu's assault.

Using only his fists and feet, Chu Qingqiu smashed the Wang Family's floating islands into fragments, which fell onto the endless grassland below.

The massive commotion immediately alerted the Wang Family's high-ranking members. The Wang Family Head, Wang Chengkun, arrived at Chu Qingqiu's location along with other figures at the Mighty Figure level.

Wang Chengkun roared, "Where did this little thief come from? How dare you commit such violence in my Wang Family!"

"Father, that guy is Chu Qingqiu!" Standing beside Wang Chengkun was a youth with red lips and white teeth, wearing a gold robe embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, looking handsome and elegant.

"What? Chu Qingqiu? He actually returned?!" Wang Chengkun was also shocked by this news. One must know that Chu Qingqiu had been missing for several years, and there were even rumors that he was dead. Yet now he had suddenly appeared before them and even destroyed their Wang Family's floating islands, which was hard to believe.

"Little brother Wang Chong, I said last time that the next time we meet, you'd have to hand over all the treasures I left in your care. The time has come. If you don't hand them over now, then when?" Chu Qingqiu said with a smile, his eyes fixed on Wang Chong.

A ferocious expression appeared on Wang Chong's delicate face as he cursed, "Bah! You dog of a thief! You dared to snatch my treasures before, and today you even dare to attack my home. No matter what, you are certainly dead today!"

Chu Qingqiu stopped smiling and said coldly, "Oh? It seems there's nothing to talk about then."

"Chu Qingqiu, no matter how much skill you have, since you dare to commit violence in my Wang Family, don't even think about leaving!" Wang Chengkun said with full confidence.

"Today, everyone in your Wang Family will stay here in the Northern Plains—stay here forever!" Chu Qingqiu then stopped wasting words and shouted, "Blood Sun Ten Thousand Lotus Sea!"

Behind Chu Qingqiu, a blood-colored ocean spanning tens of thousands of miles instantly appeared. Countless red lotuses floated upon the ocean, each containing astonishing Divine Power. The blood ocean emitted an aura that was both chilling and scorching, as if vengeful spirits could rush out from it at any moment.

Above Chu Qingqiu's head was a blood-colored sun. That sun emitted an eerie blood-red light, and a black crow flew around it. With the support of the Blood Sun, Chu Qingqiu's combat power would continuously increase, potentially up to three times!

The powerful aura made everyone in the Wang Family tremble with fear. After not seeing him for a few years, they hadn't expected Chu Qingqiu's combat power to have already reached the King Realm!

"Everyone, attack together!" Wang Chengkun didn't dare to be arrogant and quickly called upon several high-level combatants to strike together.

The members of the Wang Family unleashed various Vicious Beast manifestations. These Vicious Beasts emitted an extremely violent aura, and their frenzied roars made the divine mountains floating in the sky tremble.

Chu Qingqiu engaged in hand-to-hand combat. His Physical Body was comparable to a King-grade divine weapon. A single punch could eliminate a Vicious Beast. Some Wang Family members struck Chu Qingqiu with divine weapons, but the result was the weapons shattering and the people dying!

Seeing that things were going poorly, Wang Chengkun quickly used the Wang Family's hidden foundation. An old green wolf rushed out from the rear; it was a beast pet kept by a former expert of the Wang Family. Now over 3,400 years old, it had become a formidable force—a King-level Vicious Beast. Although it hadn't reached Major Achievement in the King Realm yet, it had a fragment of a Saint Weapon within its body, which significantly boosted its power.

"Since the people of the Wang Family can't beat me, have you resorted to sending out a beast?" Chu Qingqiu sneered with disdain in his eyes.

"How dare you insult my Wang Family's Sacred Beast! You will surely die today!" Wang Chong shouted from the rear.

He was currently at the half-step Great Power cultivation level and didn't dare to face Chu Qingqiu head-on.

Green light lit up on the old wolf's green fur, and each beam of light was like an incredibly sharp needle, piercing toward Chu Qingqiu. This was a large-scale area-of-effect secret technique.

Braving these needles, Chu Qingqiu charged straight toward the old green wolf. These needles couldn't break his defense at all.

"Heavenly Peng Dragon Wrestling Technique!" Chu Qingqiu threw a punch at close range, hitting the old green wolf's abdomen. Red blood sprayed across the sky as a huge hole appeared in the wolf's belly, though it began to repair itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, the old wolf's aura had weakened considerably.

"Chu Qingqiu's strength is probably close to Teng'er's. He must be killed, or else this boy will surely become a great enemy on my son's Righteous Path to the future!" Wang Chengkun stared at Chu Qingqiu with ill intent.

The old green wolf roared in anger, its massive head lunging toward Chu Qingqiu. For wolf-like creatures, the head is the hardest part, while the abdomen is the softest.

"They say wolves have bronze heads, iron brains, and tofu waists. Let's see just how hard your bronze head is!" Chu Qingqiu gathered Divine Power into his right fist and performed the Buddhist Mantra Vajra, further increasing the hardness of his right hand.

"Boom!"

Chu Qingqiu's right fist collided violently with the old green wolf's skull. Chu Qingqiu's arm went numb from the shock, but the old green wolf's head exploded like a watermelon, splashing red and white matter everywhere.

"It was indeed somewhat hard, but it doesn't compare to me at all," Chu Qingqiu remarked indifferently as he shook off the blood and brain matter from his hand.

"Even the Wolf King has been defeated. It seems we can only invite the Old Ancestor," Wang Chengkun said with a solemn expression.

"Brother, how about we use a Saint Weapon to suppress him first? If the Saint Weapon is also useless, then we can invite the Old Ancestor," Wang Chengkun's brother, Wang Chengtian, said from the side.

Wang Chengkun shook his head and said, "While a Saint Weapon is powerful, it's easy to alert the enemy. If Chu Qingqiu witnesses the power of our Wang Family's Saint Weapon and flees, we won't be able to catch him. It's better to invite the Old Ancestor to kill him in one strike!"

Wang Chengtian nodded and said, "Brother's considerations are thorough as always."

Wang Chengkun roared, "We invite the Old Ancestor to emerge and destroy the enemy of our Wang Family!"

.