"The Y-Young Miss, she... she broke through to Legend Rank! Heavens! Our Winged Dragon Family finally has a Legend Rank Demon Spiritualist expert!" The experts of the Winged Dragon Family all shot up from their seats, wearing dumbfounded expressions as they stared at Xiao Ning'er in disbelief while she unleashed the aura of a Legend Rank expert.
Similarly, the surrounding people sucked in a cold breath, their eyes growing wide. Their scalps went numb as they witnessed the absurdity of the scene before them.
While it was true that Chen Linlin and Xue Hui had both been confirmed to possess the strength of Legend Rank Demon Spiritualists, most of the people attending the banquet still had reservations about it, as none of them had witnessed the two in action.
But now, standing before them, Xiao Ning'er's awe-inspiring display of power had truly shaken them to their core.
Bathed in the majestic aura, the people of the Sacred Family all trembled in fear. Never had they imagined that they had made the mistake of provoking a newly born Legend Rank expert.
Xue Hui, who was silently watching Xiao Ning'er from the back, had the corners of his lips curve upward, looking very proud.
He was glad that before they had returned to Glory City, he had been able to increase Xiao Ning'er's cultivation with the help of Realm Breaker Soul Ascendant Pills, turning her from a Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist into a Black Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist.
Because of that, she had been able to use the wood-type Crimson Soul Breaker Elixir, resulting in her cultivation rising at an unimaginable speed as she broke through to Legend Rank.
With this, Xiao Ning'er became the second Legend Rank Demon Spiritualist in their group, second only to Chen Linlin, who had already broken through to Legend Rank long before they entered the academy, though it had been kept secret outside her immediate family.
Xiao Ning'er let out a cold snort, making the hairs on the backs of everyone in the Sacred Family stand on end.
"Shen Xiu, my mother is a loving, kind, and caring woman. She can't change the place where she was born, but that doesn't mean she is the kind of woman you make her out to be. Throughout her entire life, my father has been the only man she allowed to touch her. She is respected by many, and she is someone I deeply love. If you think you can insult her in front of me and expect me to just lower my head and retreat, then it's your own fault for not seeing that slap coming."
Xiao Yufeng looked at his daughter with an expression of utter disbelief, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the proper words to convey what he was feeling at that moment.
Then, out of nowhere, the image of his late wife appeared behind Xiao Ning'er. Her translucent hand gently rested on Xiao Ning'er's shoulder, her expression filled with warmth and love. Their eyes met, and his wife gave him a gentle smile before slowly fading into thin air.
His body trembled as the corners of his eyes grew moist.
'Cai'er, our little princess has all grown up. It's just that I failed to keep my promise to you to protect her. She suffered over the years, and all I could do was blame myself for being useless. Fortunately, our Ning'er found a man who can protect her. I will personally apologize to you once we meet in the afterlife.' Xiao Yufeng muttered under his breath.
He didn't know whether what he saw was the spirit of his late wife or merely a trick created by his own mind. Either way, he was glad to see her again, even if it was only for a brief moment.
Shen Xiu was sprawled on the ground. The knot of her hair had come undone, leaving her appearance disheveled.
Her cheek was bright red and badly swollen. She tried to cry out for help but found herself unable to utter any words as saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face, her body shaking uncontrollably as she felt terrified and extremely humiliated.
Since when has she ever received such treatment?
She was the little sister of Shen Hong.
All her life, no one had dared to lay even a finger on her. But now, the stinging sensation on her badly bruised cheek reminded her that the Sacred Family no longer held the same power as before.
Xue Hui walked to Xiao Ning'er's side and reached out to hold her hand. She jumped at the touch but relaxed when she saw who it was.
Then a worried expression washed over her. She turned to look at the members of the Sacred Family who were pressed to the ground, then at the people around her.
Her heart pounded at the realization that her emotions had gotten the better of her, and she had inadvertently escalated the situation far beyond what they had intended.
Xue Hui leaned closer and whispered into her ear. "Keep suppressing them. We've already come this far; we might as well see it through." He then gently squeezed her hand before letting it go.
"Mhm." Xiao Ning'er nodded in response. Although she had only broken through to Legend Rank not long ago, she had already achieved sufficient control over her strength, allowing her to trap Shen Hong and his family with ease.
Xue Hui turned to Chen Zhenlong and Ye Zong, nodding to both of them.
Seeing this, Ye Zong stealthily made a hand seal as a streak of light shot out from his interspatial ring, forming into the shape of a woman.
"Fu Po, escort my wife and child to the hidden vault. Make sure to keep them safe over there," Ye Zong ordered in a serious tone.
Fu Po bowed in response before prompting the mother and son to follow her.
Similarly, Chen Zhenlong sent a mental link to the experts of the Divine Family, telling them to begin their operation.
The message was passed on to several others before it finally reached Chen Fe.
Ye Shuo watched as Chen Fe closed his eyes while muttering under his breath, a telltale sign that a Soul Communication Technique was being used.
It didn't take long before Chen Fe reopened his eyes, looking much more serious.
"They finally started over there, Brother Shuo. We can proceed with our own tasks."
Ye Shuo nodded before making a hand seal, informing all the Snow Wind Family experts he had brought with him to get into position.
"Let's go, Brother Fe. The Sacred Family has already caused so much harm to our Glory City; it's time for them to pay for all their sins."
The two unleashed their spiritual energy, causing the air around them to tremble.
The two Legend Rank experts then shot forward, tearing through the air like arrows released from a bow.
BOOM!
The ground shook, followed by a huge explosion that sent a cloud of smoke rising into the air.
Cries of panic filled the mansion as the night sky became bathed in crimson light and the territory of the Sacred Family burst into flames.
An old man with a long beard quickly activated the defensive barrier of the Sacred Family mansion. His trembling pupils landed on Ye Shuo and Chen Fe.
"My Sacred Family has served Glory City with unwavering loyalty. Why are the Divine Family and the City Lord's Mansion attacking us all of a sudden!?"
Ye Shuo let out a disdainful snort. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward the old man.
"Stop acting dumb, Shen Kui. Do you really think that my Snow Wind Family wouldn't discover the collusion between your Sacred Family and the Dark Guild? Hilarious! Since you people have chosen to betray Glory City, own up to your actions and answer for your sins."
Ye Shuo lunged forward like a fierce lion, prompting Shen Kui and the other two Grand Elders with him to increase the strength of the defensive array.
Ye Shuo coldly snorted upon seeing this. Shouting at the top of his lungs, he integrated with his demon spirit form.
His spiritual pressure instantly became far stronger.
Shen Kui's eyes widened in disbelief as he sensed the overwhelming strength before him.
"Y-you broke through to Legend Rank!"
The response he received was Ye Shuo performing a downward slash.
A frightening sword aura erupted from his body, condensing into a twenty-foot-tall blue crescent blade. With unstoppable force, it swept forward and cleaved the defensive array in half.
WOOSH!
BOOM!
"Arck!"
Shen Kui, along with the two Grand Elders, vomited a mouthful of blood as the destruction of the defensive array sent a powerful backlash through their Soul Realms, causing them to suffer severe internal injuries.
Similarly, Chen Fe led the experts from the Divine Family and the City Lord's Mansion in subduing the other members of the Sacred Family.
"Seal the exits! Make sure no one escapes. Incapacitate anyone who resists capture!" His cold voice rang through the compound, sealing the fate of the Sacred Family.
Chen Fe's head turned to the side as he noticed the carriage where the Sacred Family had placed Shen Fei.
Without retracting his aura, Chen Fe approached the wooden structure and unceremoniously tore off its door, allowing him to see inside.
What he saw confused him.
Lying on the makeshift bed was Shen Fei's lifeless body, his expression frozen in a mask of abject horror.
Not far from him was a young lady cowering in the corner as she cried in fear.
"Please don't kill me! Please!" she choked out, trembling with fear as she begged for her life.
Chen Fe retracted his aura, allowing the girl a reprieve from the suffocating pressure that had weighed on her.
"Explain what happened to him, and what are you doing here?" Chen Fe asked in a firm tone. Although the young lady had a pitiful appearance, he didn't dare lower his guard even a bit. After all, there was a dead body next to her, and he had no idea what she had done to it.
"I didn't do anything, I swear! I was just here taking care of him when an explosion rang out outside. Then everything became heavy, so much so that I couldn't breathe properly.
I... I don't know what happened to him after that. I was so scared that I hid in the corner."
She prostrated herself before Chen Fe, tears streaming down her face as she continued to plead with a trembling voice.
"Please, let me go! I really didn't do anything. I was just living with my mother and father, tending our farm, when Patriarch Lei Zhuo took me away from our home and brought me here. We were told that our job was to take care of Young Master Shen Fei's needs and sleep with him, making sure we conceived his child. If we failed to do so, the Patriarch and the Sacred Family would kill our families."
"We?" Chen Fe asked, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
Based on what he had heard from the young lady, she and several other girls were being forced to conceive Shen Fei's children.
Giving it some thought, this was probably Shen Hong's method of ensuring that his lineage continued. Although Shen Hong still had another son, Shen Fei was his only son from his wife.
This was also the reason why Shen Fei was next in line for the position of House Master after Shen Hong.
Looking at the miserable state of the young lady, killing intent flickered in Chen Fe's eyes as anger rose within him.
"Even in the final moments of your Sacred Family, you still managed to harm our people. You truly are a bastard, Shen Hong."
Chen Fe snorted coldly as his eyes landed on Shen Fei, looking at him with undisguised disgust.
'Who would've thought this arrogant bastard would die scared shitless? What a joke. I guess that's what you'd expect from Shen Hong's son,' he mocked silently.
"Brother Fe, I'm done over here!"
Following the voice, Chen Fe looked up and saw Ye Shuo holding the battered bodies of Shen Kui and the two other Grand Elders.
"This brat died on his own," Chen Fe said, gesturing toward Shen Fei.
"And I just received a mental link from the squad leader. They succeeded in capturing the entire territory. All the members of the Sacred Family over here have been apprehended," Chen Fe added.
"If that's the case, let's leave this place to them so we can head to the City Lord's Mansion. They might need our assistance over there," Ye Shuo suggested, discarding the bodies of the Grand Elders.
Chen Fe nodded. After entrusting the young lady to the members of his squad, the two of them shot toward the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.
But before they could travel a considerable distance, a towering beam of crimson light shot upward, piercing the clouds above.
"What was that light? It's coming from the City Lord's Mansion." Ye Shuo asked in bewilderment. The sight gave him a bad feeling.
Before Chen Fe could respond, the two of them were startled by the loud, miserable cries erupting behind them.
Out of nowhere, the entire Sacred Family mansion erupted into pandemonium.
Members of the Sacred Family began to convulse uncontrollably, their bodies twisting at unnatural angles. Some who could still move their limbs grabbed at their chests, seemingly trying to claw something out from within their bodies as they writhed in agony.
"Stay back! Don't touch them!" Chen Fe shouted urgently upon seeing one of his men trying to grab one of those people.
Then something terrifying happened.
Blood began gushing from the orifices of every Sacred Family member. It started as a trickle before gradually increasing in volume, prompting the experts of the two families to step back in terror.
The sight made the blood of Ye Shuo and Chen Fe run cold. They were at a complete loss as to what was happening.
Then the members of the Sacred Family let out ear-piercing shrieks before their bodies exploded into clouds of blood mist.
The two Legend Rank experts' eyes widened as they immediately jumped aside, avoiding the blood mist that shot toward them at blinding speed before continuing to fly in the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.
The two exchanged worried looks before kicking off the ground and rushing after the blood mist.
End of Chapter 109
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Update:
I've added more advance chapters on Patreon, so go check them out! The highest tier now includes the conclusion of Volume 3: "Demon Beast Horde Attack," including the two upcoming chapters.