Chapter 739: Chapter 738: Deterrence
"Thunderclap Saber Technique, are you from the Wang Family?" a master from the Duanmu Family, who was fighting against Wang Lei, recognized Wang Lei’s saber technique, his expression changed dramatically, and he cried out in alarm.
Wang Lei lifted his saber and beheaded the man.
All of his abilities came from the Langya Wang Family. Typically, he could avoid using the Thunderclap Saber Technique against ordinary masters, but now he was facing a master from the Duanmu Family at the Energy Transformation Realm and, given the need for a swift victory, he couldn’t afford to hold back.
On another front, Helian Rong also finished her fight.
Xu Jian and Duanmu Song, together, had also taken down their four opponents.
Originally, Xu Jian’s combat strength was superior to Wang Lei’s, but he was now in the body of Duanmu Cheng, whose original cultivation was only at Energy Transformation Eighth Rank. Compared to the Innate Realm, even with a mass of cultivation resources, this man who was nearly fifty only reached the Eighth Rank, which showed his poor aptitude.
If it weren’t so, Duanmu Cheng himself wouldn’t have set his sights on the Tao Longevity Scripture of Giant Sword Manor initially.
However, now that Duanmu Cheng, even though his Physical Body Realm was only at Energy Transformation Eighth Rank, was being led by Xu Jian’s soul, Xu Jian, who once cultivated a powerful Divine Soul Power, now had time to slowly nourish the Primordial Spirit. With his former cultivation experiences at Innate Realm, given time, he could grow quickly, at least much more so than the original Duanmu Cheng’s limits.
The twelve people guarding this mansion were all killed, and more masters from the Duanmu aristocratic family arrived at the scene after hearing the news.
Under the illumination of torches, the situation in the field was crystal clear. A young man in his thirties tightened his pupils, looking at Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Song in shock, "Uncle Four, what are you... what are you doing?"
As soon as this person spoke, the rest who had rushed over were also stunned as they stared at Duanmu Cheng.
Duanmu Song was directly overlooked by them since Duanmu Song and his son had always opposed the decisions made by the Duanmu aristocratic family, so his secretly running out now to try and rescue Tong Yunshu made sense.
But why would Duanmu Cheng get involved?
He was Duanmu Wugou’s own grandson.
This act was directly opposing Duanmu Wugou and several other elders.
After he was captured last time, he returned as if a different person, and now he was making such an absurd move—had his mind been kicked by a donkey?
For a while, the descendants of the Duanmu Family who had come upon hearing the news all looked at Duanmu Cheng in surprise, unable to understand why he was acting this way.
Xu Jian’s heart stirred, and he looked at the young man who had spoken, saying in a deep voice, "Yuqing, you’re shocked as to why I’m doing this, right?"
Duanmu Yuqing instinctively nodded but soon exclaimed vehemently, "Uncle Four, no matter the reason, you can’t murder a clansman, nor can you defy the decisions of the three ancestors."
Xu Jian immediately replied, "The ancestors are wrong. Our Duanmu Family has passed down through a thousand years to finally reach this point. Now, as the Hidden Sect faces a critical decision to engage with the outer world, and the entire Hidden Sect Eight Great Forces will merge with the outside, we must make the right choice. The elders are joining with the Zhuge family and Giant Sword Manor to annihilate the other major forces—do you think this is feasible?"
"What’s so unfeasible? Those families are still in the dark. As long as our families unite, it will be easy to eliminate them one by one."
"That’s right. The operation has already begun. The Duanmu Family has no way out now. Uncle Four, by doing this, you are causing panic and breaking family unity. Are you out of your mind?"
"Duanmu Cheng, I’ve long noticed something was wrong with you. After your inexplicable disappearance last time, and on your return, you always felt like a stranger. I suspect you are on the wrong medication, betraying the family?"
"Exactly, just by what you did today in murdering family members, you should be dealt with family law."
"No need to waste words with him, capture him and let the three ancestors execute him personally when they return."
Xu Jian was instantly speechless.
He had thought his identity as Duanmu Fourth Master would be useful; after all, he used to handle all the family’s mundane matters, and he had a high reputation within the family. Now that the elders and those Innate Realm masters were not home, he could have rallied everyone, but upon returning after going missing, Duanmu Cheng had lost all his influence, and he couldn’t even control the current situation.
It seemed that this identity as Duanmu Cheng was useless now.
What a pity.
Xu Jian secretly regretted, he had planned to continue using this identity to leech off the Duanmu Family, borrowing their enormous resources to enhance his strength.
Watching these young people who once fawned over him charging towards him one by one, Xu Jian sighed helplessly and said to Wang Lei, "Protect me."
Wang Lei’s mouth twitched.
Was it really necessary to be so afraid of death?
In his memory, although Xu Jian had always craved immortality, he didn’t have such a cowardly personality. Now, after seizing Duanmu Cheng’s body, he became overly cautious and fearful of death.
However, Xu Jian was Yang Fei’s friend, and Wang Lei had once fought and risked his life alongside him, so he naturally wouldn’t sit back and watch him get beaten. Thus, he guarded in front of Xu Jian.
Helian Rong also stepped forward.
Soon after, Duanmu Song also came over.
A few of them blocked the entrance, facing the onslaught of the Duanmu Family’s experts and killing wildly.
Wang Lei, who had already surpassed the threshold of the Innate Realm and primarily focused on combat, forged his growth through battle. His saber technique emphasized slaughter, with a heavy killing intent.
Not to mention Helian Rong, her cultivation realm was profound, her combat power formidable, and she was capable of silently poisoning. Often, several people rushed at her, and before even getting close, their faces dramatically changed, clutching their throats in agony, unable to breathe.
Soon, the Duanmu Family’s experts who were alerted and rushed over first were scared off by the ferocious killing methods of these powerful foes.
More than twenty members of the Duanmu Family lay dead on the ground, and what was key was that several others were severely poisoned. Although not dead, the way they writhed and wailed in pain on the ground was even more horrifying.
For a time, those who arrived early did not dare to act, and those who came late, seeing the scene, also revealed fearful expressions, not daring to step forward lightly.
Helian Rong glanced around at those who had gathered but dared not act, her face showing contempt, "The great Duanmu Family is actually a group of bloodless people. That such a family has been passed down for a thousand years is truly laughable."
Having said that, she turned and leaped, entering the courtyard behind her.
The men of the Duanmu Family flushed with shame. Someone roared and, wielding his weapon, charged forward, only to see Wang Lei swing his saber, and a Saber Energy controlled by an Innate Realm expert split the young man in half from over ten meters away.
Blood sprayed into the void, and the night was filled with a fearsome blood stench, making all the Duanmu Family offspring feel an immense melancholy and pressure in their hearts.
No one dared to advance a single step further.
Having courage does not mean not fearing death.
The people of the Duanmu Family well knew that there was a shortage of experts within the family at the moment. With the enemy’s tactics, those staying behind in the family were no match for them.
Unless they truly did not fear death and the entire family of hundreds or thousands charged forward recklessly, maybe at the cost of a huge sacrifice, they could perhaps achieve a final victory.
But was it worth it?
These people didn’t seem to have come to annihilate the Duanmu Family, they were probably here to rescue that common girl. So, let them take the person and leave.
After Helian Rong leaped into the courtyard, she scanned around but did not see Yang Fei.
Her eyebrows slightly furrowed, she wondered to herself.
This courtyard wasn’t very large, one could see the entire place at a glance. Several rooms were lit, and there were startled servants and maids moving about, or screaming in panic, but she did not see Yang Fei.
Striding forward, Helian Rong grabbed a maid dressed in plain clothes and demanded, "Where is the person who just broke in?"