Though his soul had slumbered for a thousand years, Bai Xianhua's abilities had not diminished in the slightest.
In fact, a millennium ago, Bai Yuetian had forced him away and orchestrated the extraction of his body's core, all out of fear of his formidable power.
As Bai Xianhua, sword raised and descending, stood before them, those present were stunned by his immense strength.
"This formation is an ancient secret technique of the Shengyu clan. For countless centuries, if enemies dared to invade, the clan elders would employ this very formation," Gu Qianying explained from the side. She had learned of this matter inadvertently after discovering the blood relation between the Bai couple.
If the explanation of the Bai parents' bloodline inheritance was an accidental discovery, then from where did she acquire knowledge of this clan's secret art?
Bai Yulan tilted her head, her eyes filled with profound confusion.
"I saw it in a dream illusion."
On the journey accompanying Nangong Mo to the Nine Hells of Forgetfulness, the group of six had once fallen into an inescapable space, where each individual experienced different illusions. However, due to their strong wills, none remained there, and thus, no one mentioned what they had seen in their respective illusions.
"Wasn't what you saw your own past?" Nangong Li interjected. With Bai Xianhua already charging into the formation to engage in battle, he still had the leisure to ponder the illusions of others.
"The dream illusions of Forgetfulness are fraught with peril; not everyone's phantasms are the same," Nangong Mo interrupted him from the side.
As a blinding radiance erupted before them, accompanied by a dull thud, the formation was shattered. Bai Xianhua floated in mid-air, blood continuously dripping from his sword, and the formation's casters had all perished without exception.
"How barbaric!" Meng Qinghua quickly covered Xiao Yihao's eyes, exclaiming in shock.
"They were using a blood formation, a formation that inherently bound their lives. With the formation's core forced, they died within the very array they had set," Ouyang Qinglin explained from the side. When it came to the core of formations, no one had more research than him.
Seeing the death warriors blocking his path perish one after another, the Great Elder Bai finally descended from his lofty seat.
"Bai Xianhua, I never imagined that the malevolent aura of the Nine Layered Hell could not retain your body's core. It seems our meeting this time is truly fated." He stroked his beard, adopting the posture of an observer enjoying a good show.
Due to his selfishness, his beloved had withered away, yet this man reaped the benefits, comfortably occupying that position. Such a shameless person existing in the world was truly a scoundrel.
Bai Xianhua narrowed his eyes and, with a swift movement, appeared before the Great Elder Bai.
"So, that position truly bestows an inexplicable aura. Then let me see if your abilities have improved over these thousand years." He provocatively held his sword before his chest, his leisurely demeanor showing no regard for the people below.
Seeing himself so lightly dismissed, Bai Yuetian clenched his fists. However, knowing this man's consistently petty behavior, despite his anger, he understood that direct confrontation would put him at a disadvantage. Thus, he shifted his focus to others.
"Hahaha, how laughable. Why should I, a demon, display whether my cultivation has improved? You have slain the generals of my Bai clan's guards and defiled the land of Shengyu. Do you not fear that A'yuan's soul will find no peace?"
"This man's shamelessness is truly astonishing," Nangong Li spat in disgust at the perfidious man.
Upon hearing him mention the name of Fairy Mingyuan, Bai Xianhua's gaze grew even more ferocious.
"You still have the audacity to mention her? If not for you, why would she have shaved her immortal bones and fallen into a realm of eternal reincarnation?"
Shameless people never feel guilt for their actions; on the contrary, they only repeat these deeds to further wound others.
Bai Xianhua could no longer restrain himself. He was utterly enraged and, raising his sword, charged at the white-haired man below.
Bai Yuetian turned, drew the sword from his chair, and drew an incantation in the air, striking the charging Bai Xianhua down to the ground.
This was precisely why he had strived with all his might to become the patriarch of the Bai clan.
"Shengyinjie," Bai Yulan uttered the origin of this seal.
"This is our Shengyu clan's highest secret art. Only by becoming the patriarch does one have the right to practice this technique." Although her parents were abducted by Bai Xianhua, he had, after all, been driven to madness by love. Compared to the despicable man before them, he was no worse. Therefore, upon seeing this seal, she still felt a sense of unease.
"This man's intentions are impure, and his cultivation of the seal is merely at the third or second level. Such power is not enough to deter my elder brother," Nangong Mo observed. He could see that after completing the seal, Bai Yuetian's figure had clearly begun to waver.
Clearly, his breath was already unstable, and achieving this much was his limit. Moreover, having achieved this, he had only managed to knock his elder brother from the air, indicating that if they were to truly fight, he would be nothing more than an ant in Bai Xianhua's grasp.
Seeing that his attack had only caused Bai Xianhua to spit out some blood and that he was otherwise unharmed, Bai Yuetian truly began to panic. His final trump card had been revealed, yet it had yielded the effect of a moth flying into a flame. If this person were to reach him, he would perish instantly.
With this thought, Bai Yuetian's gaze locked onto the Bai couple. Over the years, relying on their lineage from Fairy Mingyuan, they had received considerable favor within the clan, and because of their presence, he had been repeatedly lectured by other elders.
Why should Mingyuan's death be blamed on him? She should be blamed for her own weakness, for choosing to harm her immortal life for the sake of love. She deserved it, and her descendants deserved to die even more.
Recalling that he had been unable to act in the past due to clan considerations, why not redirect Bai Xianhua's objective towards those two, thereby causing him to go berserk? With this thought, Bai Yuetian narrowed his eyes, glanced at the Bai couple, and then let out a low chuckle.
"Do you truly believe that A'yuan's death was solely caused by my coercion?"
There was a twist? Nangong Mo and the others could not intervene at this moment and could only watch the actions of the two. However, this man's words had also captured their attention.
Bai Xianhua looked at Bai Yuetian impatiently.
"I know you have helpers. Let them come out too." His mind was solely focused on revenge, and he did not carefully consider Bai Yuetian's words.
Seeing his righteous and imposing demeanor, the Elder Bai knew this was the perfect opportunity.
"Very well. The Bai couple beside you, their ancestors were Mingyuan's elder brother. And the reason A'yuan removed her immortal bones was because after I abandoned her, her brother and sister-in-law forced her to marry the Netherworld Xuan Lord as a concubine."
The moment these words were spoken, it not only shocked Bai Xianhua but also caused those around to sigh in disbelief.