Lu Yuan stood high in the firmament, suspended in midair.
He appeared like a deity, looking down at the Zhou family's hidden sanctuary below. The aura of the Saint Realm emanating from him was revealed without the slightest reservation.
A formidable pressure descended continuously. Because he made no effort to hold it back, the mountains and forests below shook violently. Buildings cracked and began to collapse.
It was like a massive earthquake convulsing the entire region. The Saint Realm was terrifyingly powerful through its sheer aura alone.
The Zhou family disciples below had no idea what was happening. But once they heard their family head's shouts and clearly saw Lu Yuan's face, they fell into utter panic.
They were well aware of recent events and understood that this man's arrival spelled sheer catastrophe for the Zhou family.
The surrounding earth trembled, and the rocks on the mountains cracked. The oppressive force of his presence was overwhelming.
"Run, hurry and run!" Zhou Xingquan knew the intruder had come with the intent to wipe out the Zhou family. With his own strength, he had no way of changing anything. His only choice was to preserve as many seeds of the Zhou family as possible; as long as survivors remained, their bloodline could continue.
Yet once the Zhou family disciples came to their senses, none of them obeyed. Instead, some looked up at Lu Yuan and shouted,
"Things have already reached this point! What's the use of running? We might as well fight to the death and carve out a path to survival!"
"That's right! He may be powerful, but we have no fear! There is only battle!"
"It's not decided who will prevail in the end! Charge!" the Zhou family disciples roared, fully aware of Lu Yuan's immense power.
They knew they were no match for him, but what else could they do now? Fleeing was impossible; the enemy had already cornered them at their doorstep, so they might as well wage war.
It had to be said that these disciples possessed immense courage and backbone. For any faction, such resolve would be cause for pride.
Yet Zhou Xingquan felt completely otherwise, because he knew that such an action was nothing short of courting death.
Now, however, there was no stopping them. A number of Zhou family disciples, together with several clan elders, charged straight upward.
"Commendable courage," Lu Yuan murmured from above. Then he slowly raised a hand, making no flashy movements, and pressed it downward.
Boom!
The golden qi and blood on his body surged. A colossal might moved in tandem, detonating forward. It was neither a divine ability nor any special technique, but the pure, unadulterated power of the Saint Realm.
In the next instant, the Zhou family disciples and elders who had charged up were like moths plunging into a flame. Beneath such overwhelming power, they were engulfed in an instant.
Their physical bodies and souls were completely erased, as though they had never existed at all. Down below, the Zhou disciples who had intended to rush forward were overcome with terror at the sight.
Before he had acted, they had not realized how vast the chasm between them was. Now, they understood all too clearly. He was insurmountable, impossible to contend with; their only option was to flee!
Yet Lu Yuan obviously had no intention of giving them that chance. He took a single step forward, and an even more formidable aura emerged.
The Great Sun Smelting Furnace materialized behind him, shining over everything as it resonated with his golden qi and blood. Rumble! The remaining Zhou family members could not withstand it at all; their bodies were ground directly to dust by the sheer force.
Blood splattered everywhere amidst the collapsing buildings, creating a scene like the end of the world.
The head of the Zhou family watched with bloodshot eyes threatening to split open, enraged to the utmost limit. Yet even he could do nothing to change the outcome, forced to look on in helpless despair.
In the end, ninety-nine percent of the Zhou family's hidden sanctuary was destroyed, leaving the mountains and forests in complete ruin. And he could no longer sense the aura of a single kinsman.
Gone. The Zhou family had been wiped out.
This was the first time the head of the Zhou family had ever felt true despair. Up in the sky, Lu Yuan walked down, his expression as calm as ever.
The slaughter moments ago had not affected him in the least. Were the disciples and clansmen of the Zhou family innocent? Hardly.
They had enjoyed the benefits and privileges brought by their status and bloodline. At the moment of their destruction, they needed to have the corresponding resolve.
Moreover, Lu Yuan was not someone who liked leaving troubles behind. Eradicating problems by the root was his principle. After all, he had never considered himself a good person, especially in an era like this.
"Where is Zhou Yunqiong?" Lu Yuan asked calmly, looking at the head of the Zhou family before him. His ultimate purpose in coming here was to find that woman.
Sparing this man had been solely to get a clear answer.
"Y-You..." Zhou Xingquan's heart was consumed by despair and fury, his entire body trembling violently. He truly wanted to avenge his kinsmen, but he could not. Standing before this man, the pressure alone made it impossible to muster any thought of resistance. In the end, he could only choke out, "You will never know, and I will never tell you.
"Furthermore, you will pay the most gruesome price in the future for what you have done today, because you have no idea whom you've offended." The Zhou family possessed the bloodline of the Ji clan; though many years had passed, the connection still remained.
The extraterrestrial Ji clan would certainly not let this rest. Of that, Zhou Xingquan was certain.
"If you aren't willing to say anything, then I'll just find her myself." Lu Yuan had no interest in wasting any more time with him. Without another word, he simply walked past.
Golden qi and blood surged from his body. Zhou Xingquan had no power to resist whatsoever; his body fractured and was slain on the spot.
Lu Yuan then stepped into the core grounds of the Zhou family, where he spotted numerous spiritual fruits and exotic herbs.
In the spirit of avoiding waste, he naturally did not leave them behind. These were his spoils of war, after all. In addition, there were several unique breathing methods and visualization methods.
They appeared to have been bestowed by the Ji clan, as all of them were exceptionally powerful. It was quite a decent harvest. Still, despite finding so many treasures, Lu Yuan ultimately failed to locate Zhou Yunqiong.
He knew she could not be in a normal state, with her soul protected, but he had no way of knowing what condition she was in now.
Eventually, he arrived before a massive black cauldron. The black cauldron gave off an ancient, primitive aura.
Lu Yuan sensed it for a moment. He indeed detected a wisp of Zhou Yunqiong's soul aura on it, but aside from that, there was nothing else unusual.
Her soul had certainly resided inside temporarily, but where could it be now? Could she... have been taken away by the Ji clan?
He considered that possibility. Zhou Yunqiong's bloodline was something even Jiang Ningxian acknowledged, so the Ji clan would inevitably place great value on her—otherwise, they would never have produced a Death Immunity Talisman for her.
"Did I arrive too late? That's a bit of a pity." Lu Yuan could not help feeling a touch of helplessness. He had originally intended to use this opportunity to settle everything once and for all, but he had not anticipated this outcome.
Still, it did not matter much. As long as he was strong enough, neither Zhou Yunqiong nor the Ji clan behind her would ever pose a true threat.
Without lingering, Lu Yuan turned and left, collecting all the spoils of war. Finally, he stepped into the sky.
Facing the Zhou family grounds, he threw a punch. In an instant, the mountains and forests shook, the earth split wide open, and all the buildings were completely buried. The Zhou family was gone for good.
Chapter 224