Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1446 - 911: How Can Martial Artists Compete with Immortal Cultivators? (Part 2)

Lin Daoyuan's gaze was sharp as swords, his presence intensifying, akin to a drawn blade unleashing its Sword Intent and ferocity without restraint.

"The Unpredictable Ghost Sect is truly a den of scheming rats!"

His sword momentum shifted, transforming the sky filled with sword beams into a tempest of pear blossom petals. Each petal was embedded with minute Spiritual Energy Vortices, poised to tear Zhang Mo asunder within the storm of Sword Intent.

It was a breathtaking spectacle of wind and snow, with white pear blossoms drifting lazily, appearing slow yet possessing an unimaginable sharpness.

A gentle breeze rustled, and snowflakes descended softly.

Glazed roof tiles made soft sighing sounds, and clouds of dust billowed from the palatial structures.

Blood-red flowers bloomed upon the Ghost Soldiers and Blood Puppets, marring the graceful display of wind and snow with a sinister beauty.

And high above this swirling wind and snow, a brilliant moon ascended serenely.

The luminous moon hovered in mid-air, its Jade Plate reflecting the countless stars, before pouring down a blade as immense as the Milky Way.

These airborne blades carried no fierce aggression, but an unyielding, bone-chilling cold. Wherever they passed, space fractured like glass, even stifling sound itself.

Yue E stood bathed in the moonlight, her moon-white gown enhancing her ethereal and distant aura, as if she were a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace.

She regarded Zhang Mo with eyes as pure as black and white, like an immortal having descended to the mortal realm, looking down upon all creation with indifference.

Sword Qi like falling snow, a crescent moon like a sharpened blade, surged forward.

To necessitate the combined efforts of two Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists, Zhang Mo was indeed worthy of respect.

Yet, facing the onslaught of two Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists, Zhang Mo remained utterly unperturbed. His form suddenly surged, expanding to a colossal height of three zhang in mere moments, his blood energy intensifying, suggesting he had just emerged from a pool of blood.

Whether it was the Sword Qi or the crescent moon that struck him, they were met with the effect of stones plunging into water, causing only fleeting ripples.

"Hahaha~~"

"Haha~~"

His laughter boomed, imbued with pride and boundless arrogance.

"How can you Martial Artists possibly contend with Immortal Cultivators?"

"If you possess any sense, you would be wise to surrender now; my mercy can ensure your Divine Souls are not annihilated!"

The colossal figure thrust a palm skyward, and a terrifying wave of blood energy instantly engulfed the chilling Moon Blade.

Yue E retreated with haste, a faint blush coloring her delicate cheeks.

Following this, Zhang Mo made another gesture, overwhelming all of Lin Daoyuan's Sword Qi with his blood energy.

However, a subtle crimson hue unexpectedly appeared within Lin Daoyuan's eyes.

"What have you done?" Lin Daoyuan sensed an anomaly within his own body.

"Hehe, nothing much, just a small present for all of you!"

"This is the Blood-crying Gu, which I painstakingly refined over a decade."

Zhang Mo grinned, "The timing should be perfect; I trust you will all appreciate this little gift of mine."

Yue E's consciousness wavered momentarily, as if phantom images flickered before her eyes.

Meanwhile, the assembled crowd in the square had already succumbed to various illusions.

The Blood-crying Gu is a form of Gu, or spirit insect, emitting a faint sanguineous scent that can disperse into the atmosphere. It is exceedingly difficult to detect. Even when probing with Spiritual Sense, unless one is exceptionally vigilant, it is remarkably easy to overlook these minuscule insects.

Once the Blood-crying Gu infiltrates the body, its poison takes hold, causing the afflicted individuals' eyes to weep blood and inducing terrifying visions. These hallucinations typically revolve around death and carnage, such as perceiving their own dismemberment or witnessing the tragic demise of loved ones and companions, inflicting immense psychological trauma and gradually driving the poisoned to despair and agony.

The area was not only sealed by a Grand Array, but Blood-crying Gu had also been strategically dispersed long beforehand. Without these meticulous preparations, Zhang Mo would never have dared to reveal himself so openly.

"Break the array!"

Yue E's icy command cut through the air.

In the prevailing circumstances, whether Zhang Mo could be subdued was no longer the primary concern; the paramount objective was to escape this location and secure their own survival.

As for the others, they were evidently incapable of attending to anything beyond their immediate predicament at this juncture.

Lin Daoyuan fully grasped this critical reality.

The methods employed by Immortal Cultivators were far too intricate, and an individual like Zhang Mo, armed with such nefarious tactics, was even more inscrutable.

Despite being Martial Artists of the Divine Soul Realm and having encountered Immortal Cultivators numerous times throughout their lives, they had still fallen prey to Zhang Mo's elaborate scheme.

No one had anticipated Zhang Xian's betrayal of the Three Sects of Spiritual Grace, nor his illicit alliance with Zhang Mo.

Furthermore, Zhang Mo's audacious ambition was equally shocking, as he dared to launch a simultaneous assault on three Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists.

Such a feat, within the vicinity of the Yunxiao Mountain Range, was a thought perhaps only White Cloud True Monarch would conceive.

What was the significance of three Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists!

They were beings positioned far above mere Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Aside from the deranged Zhang Mo, who else would possess the audacity to conspire against three Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists at once?

Lin Daoyuan suddenly unleashed a formidable burst of Sword Qi, fiercely cleaving towards the crimson web suspended in the air.

Rumble~~

The nocturnal firmament quaked, the stars vibrated, and a blood-hued luminescence, resembling ethereal mist, engulfed the entire landscape. Within this haze, the colossal silhouette of a spider began to materialize.

"Cease your struggles; this is my Blood Spider Immortal Trapping Array. You cannot break free!"

As Zhang Mo proclaimed these words, he unfurled a Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner.

A miasma of Ghost Qi permeated the surroundings, accompanied by the horrifying shrieks of malevolent spirits. Countless Ghost Generals surged forth, instantly engulfing Lin Daoyuan.

Razor-sharp Sword Qi sliced through the spectral forms, tearing apart Ghost General after Ghost General, yet Lin Daoyuan remained ensnared by the legion of ten thousand ghosts.

The potency of the Blood-crying Gu intensified, and faint, ruddy threads began to emerge from the corners of Lin Daoyuan's eyes.

Yue E, situated nearby, was in a similarly dire predicament. She had long ago detected the malevolent presence of the Blood-crying Gu, which was the reason for her hasty departure. However, she had still acted a step too late, finding herself ensnared within the Blood Spider Immortal Trapping Array.

Although her Moonlight True Essence possessed properties that could retard the effects of the Blood-crying Gu, it proved insufficient to purge the poison from her body.

And after Zhang Mo deployed the spectral legion to immobilize Lin Daoyuan, he turned his attention to assaulting her.

In her current compromised state, she could only manage to stave off Zhang Mo's attacks with great difficulty.

As for Han Jiangche, his situation was even more perilous. Subjected to the combined onslaught of Yang Shenwu and Zhang Xian, he found himself entirely on the defensive, utterly incapable of mounting a counterattack.

The tumultuous conflict raged on, and concurrent with this, a significant disturbance arose at the Spirit Source Land.

Yang Mingcheng, Ding Qiu, and Lu Fusheng, leveraging the power of their Jade Tokens, successfully extricated themselves from the Wuxiang Sect and returned directly to the Reception Hall within the Spirit Source Land.

The instant the trio materialized within the Reception Hall, an overwhelming sense of physical discomfort washed over them, immediately followed by a barrage of vivid illusions that flickered before their eyes.

Yang Mingcheng stood immobile within the hall, his gaze vacant, his body unmoving.

He was utterly bewildered by the scene unfolding before him.

The imposing city ramparts, so starkly familiar.

"Could this be Chongshan Pass?"

Upon beholding this long-forgotten cityscape, a profound and unidentifiable dread gripped his heart.

The city walls were festooned with corpses; though he could not perceive them with perfect clarity, it felt as though he did.

"What is that!"

His gaze fixed intently upon a corporeal form dangling from the battlements.

A mangled, blood-soaked cadaver.

"Father!"

A soul-wrenching lament escaped his lips.

Within the Reception Hall, the assembled garrison soldiers were thrown into a state of shock by Yang Mingcheng's anguished cry.

Wu Zhan swiftly approached Yang Mingcheng's side, calling out, "Master, Master~~"

"Master, awaken!"

"Housekeeper Ding, Housekeeper Ding!"

Observing that he was unable to rouse Yang Mingcheng, Wu Zhan turned his attention to Ding Qiu.

Ding Qiu, too, was somewhat disoriented, yet his condition was significantly better than Yang Mingcheng's; a sliver of lucidity remained.

"Hurry and fetch the Old Master!"

Though faint crimson threads streaked from his eyes, his mind remained lucid.

Heeding this urgent command, Wu Zhan did not hesitate for a single moment. With a swift movement, he exited the Reception Hall and made haste towards the Spiritual Spring Mountain Plateau.