Chapter 291: Chapter 273: The Death of Zhang Yuan
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So this was Huang Qingling’s trump card all along.
This jade pendant even had a teleportation function, no wonder Elder Bai said that this jade pendant was specially selected for Huang Qingling.
As long as one wore this jade pendant, it meant that at any time, one was under the protection of two Golden Core Cultivators.
From this, it was clear how much affection Elder Bai held for Huang Qingling.
When Elder Bai and Elder Yu emerged, the first thing they felt was the pervasive demonic aura that filled the sky.
The two immediately furrowed their brows, looking around to find the source of the demonic aura.
The attack from the Zhang Family Patriarch had already ceased.
The demonic aura that had been swirling around his body had dissipated, and he had reverted to his previous appearance.
It was at this moment that the jade pendant hovering in midair began to “crack and snap,” and the protective barrier around the teleportation array flickered and dimmed.
It was probably about to shatter.
Just then, Lin Jing hastily spoke up, addressing Elder Bai and Elder Yu:
“Be careful, Real Man Chenfan has cultivated demonic techniques…”
However, as Lin Jing issued his warning, the Zhang Family Patriarch had already launched his attack.
Countless streams of demonic aura burst forth violently, a blood-red malevolence soared into the sky, and when the demonic energy was at its most ferocious, the soaring malevolence instantly absorbed all the demonic aura and then transformed into a blood-red arrow, attacking Elder Bai and Elder Yu.
At the sight of this, Lin Jing’s heart leaped to his throat.
Just as the arrow was approaching the quickly fading barrier, Elder Bai and Elder Yu, along with Huang Qingling not far behind them, suddenly vanished into thin air.
Immediately after, the blood-red arrow unobstructed passed through the barrier formed by the jade pendant and, as it did so, the jade pendant could no longer withstand it.
With a “bang,” it exploded into fragments.
And the blood-colored arrow, without any inhibition, plunged directly into the ground and disappeared from sight.
Seeing Elder Bai and the others disappear, the Zhang Family Patriarch’s brow furrowed, and then he looked around.
Soon, he spotted the traces of the three of them in the airspace slightly further away within the dense forest.
At that moment, a ring in Elder Bai’s hand, which was emitting a milky white light, was slowly fading away.
It seemed that they had just used this ring to teleport away.
“Qing Ling used the jade pendant to summon us here, it must have been because of danger. Looking around, except for a few of you, there was no one else.”
“Moreover, with the demonic aura pervading the sky but no demon in sight, I have been on guard.”
Having said this, Elder Bai turned to the Zhang Family Patriarch, whose horrific features were enveloped in strands of rising demonic aura, and asked:
“Zhang Chenfan, when did you start practicing the Demonic Path?”
Following this.
The three of them approached Lin Jing. Elder Bai took two steps forward, gazing directly at the Zhang Family Patriarch.
Meanwhile, Elder Yu examined Lin Jing and inquired:
“Are you alright…”
Lin Jing shook his head in response:
“I’m fine, but Brother Zhang…”
Lin Jing then lowered his head to look at Zhang Yuan in his arms.
At this point, Zhang Yuan’s breathing was weak, and his eyes were starting to slowly lose focus; it was apparent he was on the brink of death.
Seeing this, Elder Yu quickly crouched down, placed his hand on Zhang Yuan’s wrist, and at once, countless streams of spiritual power flowed from his arm into Zhang Yuan’s body.
Even Elder Bai looked on.
But now, Zhang Yuan’s meridians were severed, and his cultivation base was destroyed.
His body was like a sieve, and no matter how much spiritual power was channeled into it, it would leak out without leaving a trace.
A moment later.
Elder Yu withdrew his hand, sighed, and, shaking his head at Lin Jing, said:
“It’s no use…”
“His meridians are severed, and his cultivation base is also destroyed. Even if Daluo is alive, he would be powerless to help.”
Elder Bai also witnessed all this.
“Is this your handiwork, Zhang Chenfan?” he turned to ask the Zhang Family Patriarch.
“Yes…”
The Zhang Family Patriarch looked at Zhang Yuan, who was close to death, and spoke unapologetically.
His eyes were exceptionally cold, devoid of any emotion.
“He chose to oppose me, so he must face the consequences of opposing me.”
Elder Bai listened to the Zhang Family Patriarch’s explanation and could not help but furrow his brow, then looked up at the Zhang Family Patriarch, now enshrouded in demonic aura.
“Zhang Chenfan, you have fallen into the demonic path.”
The Zhang Family Patriarch, with a dismissive face, scoffed:
“Hmph!”
“What is right, and what is demonic?”
“You say I have fallen into the demonic path, but I can only say your perspective is too narrow.”
“In this world, there is no right or wrong, just different means to achieve the ultimate goal.”
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“Whether it is the righteousness you speak of, or the demonic, the ultimate goal is ascension to immortality and obtaining the Longevity Dao Fruit.”
“What difference does it make?”
“All I can say is that our paths differ…”
These words from the Zhang Family Patriarch left Elder Bai silent for a moment.
He knew that the person before him was no longer the same Zhang Chenfan that he once knew well.
“So today, must we really decide a victor between us?”
Elder Bai looked at the Zhang Family Patriarch and said.
The Zhang Family Patriarch spoke, glanced at Lin Jing, and then said:
“Originally today, I only planned to use that lad to draw Wǔ Cǎi here, absorb it and break through to the Golden Core Peak.”
“But Wǔ Cǎi actually self-destructed.”
“Now, I’m just a bit away from reaching the Golden Core Peak, so I might as well absorb the two of you.”
Just as the Zhang Family Patriarch finished speaking, Huang Qingling interjected:
“He is the Demon Cultivator from the Demonic Path who sucks the blood essence of cultivators. His demonic techniques allow him to absorb others’ cultivation and enhance his own.”
After hearing this, Elder Bai nodded and then said:
“I had guessed as much…”
The Zhang Family Patriarch’s eyes were cold as he stared at Elder Bai:
“Since it’s so, let’s cut the talk.”
With that, the Demonic Qi around his body erupted even more intensely than before.
Elder Bai likewise didn’t waste any more words. His cultivation at the Golden Core Late Stage burst forth, and he directly raised a silver-white Flying Sword, attacking the Zhang Family Patriarch.
The Zhang Family Patriarch was not outdone, as countless blood-red filaments surged from his body, dividing into two groups.
One group charged directly at Elder Bai.
The other circled around, attacking from the side, as if intending to envelop Elder Bai within.
Seeing this, Elder Bai hastily took out a bead engraved with dense incantations and activated his Spiritual Power. The bead immediately burst forth with intense golden light.
Those red filaments melted away instantly upon contact with the golden light, as if they had met with their natural enemy.
The Zhang Family Patriarch, observing this, had a change of expression and quickly retracted the red filaments.
By this time, Elder Bai’s Flying Sword had already reached the side of the Zhang Family Patriarch.
The Zhang Family Patriarch, seeing this, hurriedly raised his Flying Sword to block and then dodged backward…
And Elder Bai pursued him.
The two of them fought, moving farther and farther apart…
……
After Elder Bai and the Zhang Family Patriarch had left.
Zhang Wu, at this time, had also slowly walked over.
Zhang Wu first looked at Zhang Yuan, then turned his head away with reluctance and faced Elder Yu, saying:
“Elder Yu, it’s our turn now.”
Elder Yu also looked up at Zhang Wu and then spoke:
“I know you’ve watched Zhang Yuan grow up since he was a child. How can you bear to strike him down?”
Zhang Wu was silent for a moment before he spoke:
“My life was given by the old master…”
“For the old master, I can forsake everything, including my own life.”
After saying this, he fell silent.
He didn’t dare look up again at Zhang Yuan, who was on the brink of death.
“Alright…”
Elder Yu spoke directly, and his aura burst forth with great intensity.
“Since you wish to fight, then I’ll accompany you,” said Elder Yu as he stepped forward.
Then, his Flying Sword sped towards Zhang Wu.
As Elder Bai and the Zhang Family Patriarch clashed, so did Elder Yu and Zhang Wu.
This place was left with only Lin Jing, Huang Qingling, and Zhang Yuan, teetering on the edge of death.
Lin Jing, at this moment, continued to channel his Spiritual Power into Zhang Yuan’s body, but it had no effect.
Zhang Yuan’s face was ashen, his eyes unfocused, his lips mouthing silently, unable to make any sound.
Just then…
Zhang Yuan’s initially unfocused eyes suddenly brightened, and he murmured softly. The sound was too faint, even Lin Jing, who held him, couldn’t hear it clearly.
He reached out his hand as if trying to grasp something.
But at that moment, it abruptly stopped…
Then, his eyes quickly lost their light, and the hand he had stretched out fell…
Lin Jing felt a pang in his heart, as he could clearly feel that Zhang Yuan in his arms had stopped moving entirely, including breathing and heartbeat…
Zhang Yuan had perished.