Even if the ancestors returned, they wouldn't be a match for the Ancestral Demon, because the Ancestral Demon was simply too evil. That demonic light harbored extremely terrifying negative emotions!

"Chen Hao, I have helped you refine that mysterious demonic light. Are you willing to acknowledge me as your master?" Chen Zheng chuckled softly.

"What?"

Chen Hao was stunned, then his face burst into ecstasy. He knew his Master wanted him to accept him as his lord! But… wasn't this happening a bit too fast?

"I would not dare to disobey Master's command."

However, he still suppressed the overwhelming joy in his heart and gave Chen Zheng a deep bow.

"Alright, now that you have agreed, you can focus on cultivating. As for your family, leave them to me for now," Chen Zheng said, raising his right hand and pointing at Chen Hao's forehead.

"Yes!" Chen Hao nodded vigorously, then sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

「Outside Chen Family Village」

A carriage slowly approached.

"How did Chen Family Village become ruins?!"

"I don't know! Could it be that young lord from the Divine Wu Manor found this place again?"

"Who is it this time?"

"That direction seems to be the Chen Family's estate! Isn't Young Master Chen Hao in secluded cultivation?"

Inside the carriage, a few maids and old women whispered among themselves, their faces full of worry.

WHOOSH!

The carriage stopped.

"Get out!" an icy voice commanded from outside.

"What?"

"No!"

"Spare our lives!"

Inside, the maids and old women were terrified. Trembling, they lifted the curtain and screamed, scrambling out of the carriage in a panic.

BOOM!

At that very moment, a bolt of lightning struck down.

"AHH—"

"Spare us!"

One by one, the maids and old women were incinerated into ash.

WHOOSH!

The wind blew, raising a cloud of dust and spreading a foul, decaying scent. On this desolate plain, there were no human figures left.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Chen Hao's eyebrows knitted tightly. He sensed a familiar aura approaching from afar, rapidly closing in on Chen Family Village.

"Hao, step back. I'll take care of a few small fry," Chen Zheng said with a light smile.

"Disciple obeys." Chen Hao respectfully retreated to one side.

SWISH!

At that moment, the sound of splashing water was heard. A black Xuan snake swam toward them, with a man and a woman standing on its back. The man was handsome, and the woman was stunningly beautiful. It was indeed the pair Chen Hao had encountered before.

"Heh heh! Your Chen Family Village has some good stuff, eh!" the man sneered.

"Eh? This kid's aptitude is alright, but he's far behind Chen Hao. It must be something left behind by Chen Hao's father! The Chen Family Village has some good stuff. We've come to hunt for treasure!"

The man and woman glanced at Chen Hao and chuckled coldly.

Chen Hao's pupils contracted, rage flashing in his eyes, but he restrained himself. So that's it. These two people aren't here for me or the Chen Ancestor; they don't take me seriously at all! Their so-called 'adventure' and 'treasure'—it's clearly all for the Ancestral Spirit Stone in the Chen Family's ancestral tomb!

"Haha!" the female cultivator suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hmph! A mere ancestral tomb of some old Chen Family ghost. I can break it open with a flick of my hand!" the male cultivator spoke coldly, turning to Chen Hao. "Kid, where are your father's remains? I advise you to tell me obediently. Otherwise, I will make sure your life is worse than death! I am Li Yang of the Li Family in Tianhe County! You must have heard my name—I am the eldest son of the direct line of the Li Family, one of the three great families of Tianhe County! Your father's remains should be here!"

The Li Family of Tianhe County? Upon hearing the name, Chen Hao's eyes narrowed, and his mind raced. My father mentioned the Li Family of Tianhe County before. He said that of the three major families in Tianhe County, the Li Family was the most formidable!

"Brother Li, don't waste time," the female cultivator exclaimed. "Let's break open this Chen Family ancestral tomb now, we need to leave as soon as possible! As far as I know, there's a secret treasure in Chen Family Village, and the recent calamity was caused by it! As long as that secret treasure remains, the calamity befalling this village will never end!"

"Heh heh! Then let's get started!" Li Yang chuckled heinously.

WHOOSH!

As his words fell, he raised his right arm and grasped at the void.

ROAR!

The next moment, a ferocious giant beast materialized. The beast opened its mouth and spewed out a sinister blood mist that enveloped the entire Chen Family Village.

AWOO!

Strange howls resounded from within the mist. Immediately after, the ferocious beast charged toward the village.

BOOM!

An earth-shattering sound erupted as the blood mist exploded. Chen Family Village seemed to fall into an eternal stillness.

"Heh heh! The ancestral tomb of the Chen Family's old ghosts has been desecrated! This is what happens when you anger me, Li Yang! Not only are you doomed, but the rest of the commoners in Chen Family Village will also be affected!" Li Yang cackled coldly. He stepped forward, landing before the ruined carriage and looking down on Chen Hao. "You're really lucky, kid. You picked up your father's Ancestral Spirit Stone and even obtained an ancient Immortal Law. What a pity. You're too weak to wield it. You might as well obediently offer it to this young master!"

"Heh!"

Chen Hao let out a cold snort, took a step forward, raised his hand, and threw a punch, striking Li Yang down in an instant with an Immortal Law!

"What!"

"Young Master!"

"You dare harm the Young Master!"

Li Yang's two companions were aghast.

Chen Hao was utterly indifferent, not even bothering to give them a second glance as he leaped and plunged into the nearby lake.

"AH!"

"SAVE ME!"

At that same moment, screams of agony arose from the lake.

WHOOSH!

A flash of blood-red light burst from the water, and a desiccated corpse flew out, drenched in fresh blood.

"Old ghost of the Chen Family, your flesh and blood essence is indeed abundant! After devouring your essence, I will soon break through to the Nascent Soul Stage! Heh heh! Boy, once my cultivation is complete, I'll surely take you through the Nine Hells and Ten Thousand Provinces just to show you how formidable this young master is!" Li Yang sneered sinisterly.

WHOOSH!

An eerie rune appeared, and Li Yang immediately tore it to shreds.

"You can die now, kid! Heh heh! You and your father are as good as dead, and your entire clan will die!" Li Yang let out a sinister laugh, his body transforming into a streak of bloodlight as he pounced toward Chen Hao.

"Die!" With a low growl, Li Yang stretched out his claws, viciously aiming for Chen Hao's head.

SWOOSH!

However, Chen Hao vanished.

"Hm? He ran away?" Li Yang was taken aback.

BOOM!

At that very moment, a beam of sword light descended upon his head.

"What is this thing!" Li Yang's expression changed drastically. He hastily waved his claws to defend himself, barely managing to block it.

BANG!

But just as he blocked the sword light and prepared to pursue Chen Hao again, he felt his head buzz. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Young Master Li?"

"Young Master Li Yang?"

The other two cultivators were dumbfounded. Li Yang was the only son of the Tianhe County Prefect! But he had barely entered Chen Family Village before he was knocked unconscious! Furthermore, he now bore a wound so deep that the bone was visible.

"What do we do? Young Master Li Yang's injury is too severe. I'm afraid his chances are slim!"

"Even though we're both Golden Core Peak Cultivators, the Li Family Head is at that level too. The two of us together could only suppress the Li Family Head, but we..."

The two cultivators fell silent. In this situation, their only option was to ask for help. But the Li Family Head was a Golden Core Peak cultivator, and the Li Family had at least seven or eight others at that level. If the Family Head wanted them dead, he would only need to dispatch a single elder, who would surely have trump cards of their own.

"Chen Family Village... what secret is hidden here that even Li Yang suffered such a setback?" one of the cultivators finally muttered after a moment, clenching his teeth as his gaze shifted toward the village.

"I also sense a hint of crisis. This village is peculiar; there might be a great secret," the other cultivator agreed with a nod. "Whatever. Let's go into the village and take a look. I refuse to believe that any trap left behind by that Chen Zheng can stop two Golden Core Peak Cultivators like us!"

SWOOSH

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