He had learned everything from the items he had obtained from Jin Yi and the Mei Ling Xian Zi.
Looking at so many precious items that belonged to him, Su Yuan couldn’t help but feel joy. He exclaimed, “Good, good. Now I have weapons, armor, pills, and spells. I have everything I could want.”
“As the old saying goes, a horse without grass will not fatten, and a person without windfall will not be rich.”
With a wave of his hand, Jin Yi and the Mei Ling Xian Zi returned to the Wan Hun Fan.
However, Su Yuan’s eyes quickly turned cold.
The items were good, but they were also a big trouble.
His strength was too weak, and the world of cultivation was too deep.
Although Su Yuan thought he had done a good job of keeping it secret and clean, a random, uncanny secret technique could easily deduce that it was he who had killed Jin Yi and the others.
He would then be subjected to endless pursuit.
Therefore, simply having items was not enough.
He needed strength.
Su Yuan immediately decided to practice diligently.
The next day, in a vast and undulating mountain range, there was a settlement. Pavilions and towers were arranged in an orderly manner, their carved beams and painted columns were exquisite and beautiful, and spiritual springs and waterfalls dotted the area, with a rich spiritual energy that was almost about to condense into fog.
This land was occupied by the Jin family.
The history of the Jin family could be traced back to ancient times. Their ancestor was one of the founding elders of the Jiu You Zong.
This honorable identity gave the Jin family an extraordinary status within the Jiu You Zong.
Inside the grand and solemn ancestral home of the Jin family, in a secret room, there were rows of soul lamps that flickered with a faint glow. These soul lamps were closely connected to the life of each important member of the Jin family.
Their brightness and flickering indicated the safety and prosperity of their owner.
Acting Head of the Family, Jin Yan, as usual, strode into the secret room to conduct a routine inspection. He had a solemn expression, his eyes scanning each soul lamp in turn.
When his gaze fell upon the soul lamp that belonged to his younger brother, Jin Yi, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face instantly lost all color.
The soul lamp, which should have been burning brightly, was now shattered, leaving behind only a pile of dull fragments.
Jin Yan’s body trembled slightly, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Jin Yi… is dead…”
An unspeakable grief and anger surged through him. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms.
“Bring someone!”
Jin Yan’s voice, filled with uncontainable anger and trembling, echoed throughout the secret room. The terrifying aura shook the soul lamps in front of him, causing them to sway uncontrollably.
A moment later, several Jin family guards rushed in. They knelt on one knee, their heads bowed, not daring to breathe.
“Young Master Jin Yi is dead, go investigate! Find out what happened to Young Master! I want to know every detail, not a single clue can be missed!” Jin Yan roared.
“Yes!”
The guards responded in unison, then quickly rose to their feet, rushing out like arrows.
Jin Yan paced back and forth anxiously in the secret room, his heart filled with worry and anger. Once, the Jin family was glorious and prosperous, their home was bustling with activity, and countless people were awed by them.
But decline was inevitable. After the passing of their ancestor, the Jin family had no successors, and no one had reached the Yuan Ying Stage. Now, the Jin family only had one mid-stage Golden Core cultivator as their facade. Those who once showed reverence to the Jin family were now beginning to stir, like hungry wolves, staring intently at this piece of fat.
Jin Yan was worried that Jin Yi’s death was a test of the Jin family's strength by other families.
After an unknown amount of time, the guards who went to investigate returned.
“What about it? Have you found anything?” Jin Yan asked impatiently.
However, the guards’ answer sent his heart sinking to the bottom.
“Reporting to Master, we… we haven’t found anything. We only know that Young Master went to the You Hun Shan Gu yesterday in the family’s Ling Xiao Yu Zhou.”
The leading guard said nervously.
“You haven’t found anything?”
“You bunch of good-for-nothings!”
Jin Yan roared in anger, his eyes burning with fury, “What use am I paying you for? You can’t even handle something this small!”
He suddenly waved his sleeve, and a powerful force sent the guards in front of him flying back, crashing hard against the wall of the secret room. The guards coughed up blood, their faces pale. They didn’t dare complain, they struggled to get up, kneeling again on the ground, awaiting their fate.
“Keep looking! Expand the search area, even if you have to turn the You Hun Shan Gu upside down, you must find clues!” Jin Yan roared.
“Yes… yes!”
The guards crawled back out, continuing to carry out their mission.
Jin Yan stood alone in the secret room, his eyes filled with pain and determination.
“Brother, don’t worry, whoever harmed you, I will make them pay a heavy price!”
He gritted his teeth, his voice filled with endless coldness.
After venting his anger, Jin Yan felt as if he had been drained of his energy, and he became completely despondent.
He went to sit on a chair nearby.
He stared fixedly at the soul lamps on the altar, his eyes flashing with hesitation.
He thought of his father, Jin Yang Zi, who was in seclusion. His father was the pillar of the Jin family, perhaps only his father could find a solution to this family crisis.
But he immediately shook his head, rejecting this idea.
He knew that his father’s current closed-door cultivation was crucial for breaking through to the late Golden Core stage. If he disturbed his father at this critical time, not only would his father’s efforts be in vain, but it could also seriously damage his father’s cultivation.
The Jin family’s position in the Jiu You Zong was precarious, surrounded by enemies who were closely watching. Other families were coveting the Jin family’s assets and resources. Once his father failed to break through, and the Jin family lost the protection of a Golden Core cultivator, they would inevitably become a target of attack, and fall into a hopeless situation.
“No, I can’t let Father take the risk.”
Jin Yan clenched his fist and secretly made up his mind. He knew that as the eldest son of the Jin family, he had to shoulder the responsibilities of the family at this time, he couldn’t rely solely on his father.
Jin Yan tried to calm himself down. He began to carefully analyze the current situation, thinking about countermeasures. He thought of the Jin family’s allies, perhaps he could ask them for help and search together for his younger brother’s whereabouts.
At the same time, he also decided to strengthen the Jin family's defenses to prevent enemies from taking advantage of the situation.
Then he took out a talisman from his storage ring.
He injected his spiritual energy into the talisman.
In the next moment, the talisman emitted a golden light, flew out of his hand, and instantly split into several talismans in the air.
These talismans changed again, transforming into small birds that flew in all directions.
One day later.
Jin Yan sat in his study, his brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on the scenery in front of him, lost in deep thought. Since learning of Jin Yi’s death, he had not had a moment of peace, his mind constantly filled with worry and anxiety.
At this time, a guard rushed into the study, saluted Jin Yan and said, “Master, we have investigated, those enemies who had conflict with our Jin family recently have not had any abnormal activity, they seem to have not taken action against Young Master.”
Jin Yan nodded slightly after hearing this, the expression on his face eased slightly.
He leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and thought to himself, “If it wasn’t the enemy families, then who could it be? My brother, although sometimes a bit naughty and willful, knows everyone in the sect, so he shouldn’t have proactively provoked these powerful figures.”
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Jin Yan’s mind. He thought of his brother’s fickle, playful personality. He often played tricks on the servants to satisfy his vanity.
Could it be that he offended someone he shouldn’t have offended?
“Could it be that my brother offended someone, and they came to seek revenge?”
Jin Yan muttered to himself.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He immediately sat up straight and said to the guard, “You immediately dispatch someone to investigate and see who Young Master has offended lately, especially those famous geniuses. Check carefully, don’t miss a single clue!”
“Yes, Master!”
The trusted guard accepted the order and turned to leave in a hurry.
Jin Yan stood up and walked to the window, looking at the scenery outside, but his heart could not calm down.
Because he had already checked the Mei Ling Xian Zi beside Jin Yi, and found out that her natal object had also been shattered.
This proved that both Jin Yi and the Mei Ling Xian Zi were dead.
The only people who could kill the Mei Ling Xian Zi were Foundation Establishment cultivators.
And Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Jiu You Zong were all inner disciples.
How could these people not have any backing?
Without some abilities?
How did Jin Yi get involved with these demons?