Chapter 46 Zheng Su(2)
“Hm? What is this flame? Arghh!” The Great Elder of the Zheng Family screamed in agony, trying his best to control his core essence to extinguish the flame, but his body was restricted by the seven stars array, rendering his efforts fruitless.
Not only he but all 14 false Core Formation Cultivators were in the same situation.
“Quick! Release me! This flame is too abnormal!” the ancestor of a mid-grade family shouted.
“Argh! My life force!”
One by one, screams echoed throughout the room.
Zheng Su wasn’t any better, being hit by three wisps of flame simultaneously. His expression turned ugly.
“Damn it, what a strange flame! Even my core essence can only suppress it. To completely extinguish it, I must find a safe place and slowly extinguish it bit by bit.” Zheng Su felt sweaty; despite being a level 3 Core Formation Cultivator, he was helpless against this flame.
“No, I must succeed.” Zheng Su gritted his teeth, fully releasing the aura of a level 3 Core Formation Cultivator. His body was protected by core essence, obstructing the flames that tried to engulf him.
“Hm?” Seeing that his flames were being suppressed by Zheng Su, Shangguan Yi quickly blinked more than 20 times, intensifying his efforts.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One by one, the wisps of flame flew into Zheng Su. With his face against the Lightning Spear and his back facing Shangguan Yi, he couldn't see his attacker. Meanwhile, his attention was also focused on the level 3 artifact, making him an unmoved target for Shangguan Yi.
[Damn it, I can’t cancel the seven stars array now, otherwise my hundreds of efforts would be wasted. It can’t be helped, I must risk it.] Thinking of this, Zheng Su gritted his teeth and activated his technique.
Roar!
A small lightning dragon appeared behind Zheng Su, opening its mouth to engulf the flames burning his body. Quickly, the flames were extinguished more and more, though the small lightning dragon also showed signs of disappearing. A second later, Zheng Su poured his core essence into the lightning dragon, revitalizing it and allowing it to continue engulfing the flames.
At this moment, all of the false Core Formation Cultivators were completely wiped out, leaving only fourteen wisps of white flame. Shangguan Yi waved his hand to collect them, but his attention remained focused on Zheng Su.
“This is the strength of a level 3 Core Formation Cultivator. Moreover, he cultivated Lightning Techniques, very rare!” Seeing that half of his flames were engulfed, Shangguan Yi decided not to add any more flames. Instead, he activated his cultivation technique, Everlasting Firmament Flame. A small white flame emerged as he threw it toward Zheng Su.
Normally, any cultivation technique was not used for attacks, and the same was true for Shangguan Yi. His white flame was not meant to attack but to absorb Zheng Su's core essence.
[Ten seconds, I only need ten seconds to finish it.] Zheng Su consoled himself. At this moment, the small white flame arrived and was engulfed by the small lightning dragon.
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Roar!
However, a second later, the small lightning dragon roared in agony, its condensed body formed from core essence weakening quickly. Zheng Su felt that his third core was being drained. If the situation continued, his third core would be sucked dry, causing his cultivation to regress by one level.
[No! This guy's method is too strange! I can’t let him off first.] Zheng Su felt hesitant.
[No! I just need to endure another 8 seconds, just 8 seconds. What is a single small level compared to the Skystrike Lightning Spear?] Zheng Su determined.
His real name was not Zheng Su. He once was a good friend and brother of the First Ancestor of the Zheng Family. They traveled and explored the lands together. In a small secret realm, they found the Skystrike Lightning Spear. However, he never expected to be betrayed by the First Ancestor. Fortunately, the secret realm was ruined when the Skystrike Lightning Spear was taken out, allowing him to survive. After healing himself, he felt hatred toward the First Ancestor and followed clues to his enemy. In the end, after years of effort, he learned that his enemy had built his family in Red Maple City. This led him to arrive there, only to find that his enemy had already died due to injuries. This made him excited and he started his plan. He killed the son of the First Ancestor, pretended to be him, and entered seclusion while continuing his plan in the dark. Every once in a while, he would capture an ancestor of the Zheng Family and use their sacrificial blood essence to unseal what the First Ancestor had left in the Skystrike Lightning Spear.
At this moment, he was near success—just 8 seconds away. He was unwilling to give up as he knew that this level 3 artifact was not just a simple one but the key to his breakthrough to the Core Evolution Realm.
Seeing that Zheng Su was so determined, Shangguan Yi didn’t hesitate any further. He activated his strongest technique, Solar Solitude. His core essence was consumed crazily, forming a condensed flame core. But Shangguan Yi felt it was not enough. Quickly, a second core, third core, and fourth core were formed.
[Four seconds, just another four seconds. Hm? What the dense core essence.] Suddenly, Zheng Su felt the great pressure from behind.
Zheng Su couldn’t help but turn his face back for the first time. What greeted him were four small flames.
Each aura of the flames was equivalent to the destruction of a core. Even at his peak, Zheng Su didn’t dare to take them directly.
Meanwhile, Shangguan Yi called back his white flame and left the scene immediately. From the system, he learned that the Lightning Spear was too abnormal; the system couldn’t even show its real name and level, only labeling it as a Fortuitous Artifact. Deep inside, Shangguan Yi felt threatened and uneasy about the Fortuitous Artifact, so he didn’t hesitate to leave.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
When Shangguan Yi reached the outside of the deep area, he heard the explosions. Without hesitation, he moved further, leaving the Zheng Family behind.
The great explosion started from the central area of the Zheng Family and expanded to other areas. Everything in its path was engulfed by the flames. The heat spread throughout the Zheng Family; many people woke up in fright, but many died on the spot.
The aura of explosions spread across the Zheng Family, reaching many mid-grade families surrounding it. Many cultivators woke up in fear as they felt the aura of Core Formation Cultivators.
“This aura is coming from the direction of the Zheng Family. Are Core Formation Cultivators fighting there?” wondered the Wan Family Patriarch, looking in the specific direction.
“The ancestors are gathered at the Zheng Family. Something big must be happening there,” whispered the Patriarch of another mid-grade family.
“That direction is the Zheng Family. Don’t tell me the demonic cultivator appeared there. I must gather everyone and go support them,” declared the Sui Family Patriarch as he left his room and called up his cultivators.
This reaction was echoed in every family around the Zheng Family, as patriarchs and leaders mobilized their forces to investigate and possibly intervene in the unfolding crisis.
…
After the great explosion, the scene was one of utter devastation. Rubble and ash were scattered everywhere, remnants of what had once been the Zheng Family's stronghold. The air was thick with smoke, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead.
“Cough! Cough! That little thief, don’t let me see you again!” Zheng Su sputtered, his voice hoarse as he clutched the Lightning Spear tightly with one hand.
The explosion could have reduced him to dust, but at the critical moment, Zheng Su had taken a desperate risk and managed to unseal the Lightning Spear. The artifact's protection had saved him, though he was gravely injured. His cultivation had regressed by one level, and the flame still burned inside his body, threatening to flare up if he fell unconscious.
“I can’t stay with the Zheng Family anymore. When the investigation team arrives, they’ll discover everything, and this treasure will fall into their hands. I can’t risk that.” With his body battered and his injuries severe, Zheng Su turned and began to head south, his steps unsteady but determined.
Meanwhile, the Zheng Family members were still in chaos, with many people running in every direction. Even the low-level Cultivators fled in panic.
More than half of the Zheng Family estate had turned into ruins, with flames burning everywhere and the screams of people echoing through the night.
The situation was out of control, and even the Foundation Establishment elders were helpless in the face of such devastation.
“Help me, Father!”
“Help! Help!”
“Help me, Grandfather!”
As a high-grade family, the Zheng Family, including its servants, had around ten thousand members. At this moment, more than a hundred Cultivators could do nothing to manage the panicked crowd.
Moreover, most of them couldn’t comprehend what had happened and felt the urge to leave themselves.