CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 247: THE DEATH OF THE OLD CLAN LEADER!

Three days passed quickly.

After the three-day ultimatum expired, the army of cultivators led by Luo Yunqing officially appeared outside White Camel Peak.

At this time, among these cultivator armies, not only were there his original followers, but also cultivators from the cultivation clans of Baisha River Oasis.

Those clans that did not come to support the Chen Family now appeared almost entirely in Luo Yunqing’s camp, and Zhouyang even saw Yang Xingyan, the patriarch of the Yang Family from Golden Spring Valley, among them!

It turned out that the three-day ultimatum given by Luo Yunqing was not only for the Chen Family but also for other clans.

His messengers ran across various families in these few days, conveying his stance to them.

Submit or die!

Zhouyang, who had been hurrying on his journey, certainly did not know about this.

Meanwhile, Zhou Minghan, stationed in the Zhou Family, outwardly agreed to come to Baisha River Oasis today, but secretly accelerated the speed of transferring family cultivators and resources.

Now that three days had passed, those who came and those who didn’t had already shown their stance.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, three days have passed already, how have you considered?"

"As long as you agree to submit to me now, the conditions promised by me still hold true!"

Outside White Camel Peak, Luo Yunqing, riding on the back of a Tier Three Lower Grade demon beast "Red Fire Eagle," transmitted his powerful voice across the entire mountain through the array.

Despite the current situation, he obviously knew Chen Ping’an’s choice, but the procedure still had to be followed.

Otherwise, wouldn’t it make him appear insincere?

"A loyal minister serves not two masters; Fellow Daoist Luo, I appreciate your goodwill, but my Chen Family is greatly valued by the Yellow Sand Sect and deeply indebted to Elder Cao — how could we commit betrayal?"

"I advise Fellow Daoist Luo to reconsider now; otherwise, regret will come too late in the future!"

Chen Ping’an, eyes deep and steely, stared at Luo Yunqing, expressing his stance loudly.

Luo Yunqing heard these words, a flash of anger crossed his face, but he couldn’t help laughing out loud: "Hahaha, regret too late? I think before long, Fellow Daoist Chen will understand what regret too late really means!"

After speaking, his face sank, and he immediately waved his hand and said, "Take action!"

With his command to "Take action" issued, over forty Foundation Establishment cultivators and four or five hundred Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators behind him simultaneously cast spells to attack the mountain protection array atop White Camel Peak.

White Camel Peak is a Tier Four Top-Grade Spiritual Vein, and its mountain protection array is also a Tier Four Middle Grade Array.

Generally speaking, with such configurations, as long as there’s a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator to control the array, along with a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and several hundred Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators assisting, it wouldn’t fear facing seven or eight Purple Mansion Stage cultivators attacking simultaneously.

In the past, when Luo Yunqing was stationed at Red Tiger Mountain, a Tier Four Top-Grade Spirit Mountain, he had held off an attack by Seventh-Layer Golden Core Demon Cultivator Blood Nether using the power of a Tier Four Top-Grade Array, showcasing the array’s immense power.

However, this time is different; Luo Yunqing had time on his side along with dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators assisting, allowing him to steadily and slowly wear down the spiritual energy of White Camel Peak’s Spirit Vein.

When the spiritual energy of White Camel Peak’s Spirit Vein can no longer supply the consumption of the Tier Four Middle Grade Array, the time for breaking the array will arrive.

This is a principle both sides understood, so the Chen Family side naturally would not just watch the enemy attack the grand array without doing anything.

Therefore, while Luo Yunqing and his group were attacking the array, aside from Chen Ping’an who needed to control the array and couldn’t divert his attention to act, Zhouyang and several Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators took the opportunity to attack the Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators outside the array.

At first, Zhouyang only displayed the strength of an ordinary Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to deceive those outside the array intercepting his attacks.

Like this, time went by for half a month, until those attacking the array gradually accustomed to their harassment and relaxed their vigilance, he then began to show his true strength.

Then suddenly, Zhouyang deployed eight flying swords, forming four "Liangyi Splitting Light Sword Arrays," simultaneously attacking the Foundation Establishment cultivators outside the array who were attacking the formation.

The people outside the array obviously didn’t expect him to have been hiding his strength, and were taken aback by his sudden fierce onslaught.

Within less than tens of breaths, as many as five Foundation Establishment cultivators fell under Zhouyang’s swords!

This caused a sensation throughout the scene.

For a moment, all those attacking the grand array couldn’t help but stop casting spells, looking at the young man atop White Camel Peak with faces full of anger and fear.

"What a domineering sword technique! What a fierce sword array! What a powerful Divine Sense!"

Outside White Camel Peak, Luo Yunqing’s expression was ugly as he stared fixedly at Zhouyang, his eyes full of admiration and anger.

He naturally recognized Zhouyang; after all, Zhouyang had previously caught Cao Wenjin’s attention and was taken to Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm for training, which was not a secret among the high-tier cultivators of Yellow Sand Sect.

But he had completely underestimated Zhouyang’s actual combat power to be this formidable!

"No wonder Old Ghost Cao values this kid, if this kid doesn’t die, will there be a place for us in the Boundless Desert Sea Cultivation Realm after he opens the Purple Mansion?"

Thinking of this, his intention to kill Zhouyang intensified like never before, his entire body flooded with murderous intent.

"I must kill this person!"

His gaze was filled with murderous intent as he looked at Zhouyang, his voice as chilling as the frigid winds of the snow realm, echoing throughout the arena.

After saying this, Luo Yunqing suddenly waved his hand and said, "Go, send ten Foundation Establishment cultivators to level the Zhou Family’s Spirit Mountain and kill all the Zhou Family cultivators!"

"Luo Yunqing!"

On White Camel Peak, Zhouyang heard this and his brows rose sharply. He looked at Luo Yunqing with a cold expression and shouted: "If you dare to touch a single cultivator from my Zhou Family, then when I open my Purple Mansion, I’ll make you pay back a hundredfold!"

"Oh, is that so?"

Luo Yunqing’s face broke into a cold smile, and then he responded in a low voice: "Then, it seems I will have to kill you before you open your Purple Mansion!"

He dared to commit betrayal against his sect; how could he be concerned about Zhouyang’s threats?

Back when the seventh-layer Golden Core demonic cultivator Blood Nether attacked Red Tiger Mountain, which he was guarding, he did not yield to the demonic pressure, and now he certainly wouldn’t change his decision because of Zhouyang’s threats.

Immediately, ten Foundation Establishment cultivators left the ranks and headed to Yuquan Lake Oasis, led by none other than Yang Xingyan, the patriarch of the Yang Family of Golden Spring Valley, who had defected to Luo Yunqing!

Seeing this, Zhouyang’s face suddenly changed, and he quickly spoke to Zhou Guangxiang behind him: "Quick, quickly send a message to the clan’s guard cultivators, tell them to abandon Spirit Mountain and hide in the Desert Sea!"

Zhou Guangxiang was also somewhat panicked at this time; hearing Zhouyang’s words, he immediately rushed to carry out the task.

Moments later, he returned with a relieved expression and reported: "Clan Leader, the message has successfully been sent back. The old clan leader said he will soon lead the people out of Jade Spring Peak, so we should focus on defending White Camel Peak."

Hearing this, Zhouyang’s expression relaxed, and he could not help but sigh with relief: "That’s good, that’s good!"

Meanwhile, at Yuquan Lake Oasis, after sending a message back to Zhou Guangxiang, Zhou Minghan suddenly reached out and directly destroyed the Communications Array on Jade Spring Peak.

"Great-grandfather, what are you..."

The Zhou Family’s Grand Elder Zhou Yuan Yu was startled and looked at Zhou Minghan with a confused expression.

"If this array is left here, and the enemy uses it to send false messages to Xiao Jiu, it would be disastrous. It’s better to destroy it now, and later ask the array masters from the Yellow Sand Sect to help rebuild it!"

Zhou Minghan waved his hand, explaining in a low voice his reasoning.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan Yu fell silent.

Seeing this, Zhou Minghan ordered: "Alright, Xiao Wu, lead the remaining people and leave now. Remember, don’t head directly to Red Fox Ridge; wait in the Desert Sea for a few months to ensure no one’s following before going there!"

"What about you, great-grandfather?" Zhou Yuan Yu asked softly.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t join you on your journey!" Zhou Minghan shook his head but did not disclose what these matters were.

Since he did not elaborate, Zhou Yuan Yu dared not ask further, assuming it was a secret mission only Foundation Establishment cultivators could partake in.

"Then, I will take my leave now."

With a respectful demeanor, he bowed to Zhou Minghan, then gathered seven or eight cultivators who were tending spirit fields on Jade Spring Peak to leave together.

After all of them had departed, Zhou Minghan, observing their departure from the top of Jade Spring Peak, turned to gaze towards the Baisha River Oasis and murmured:

"Xiao Jiu, oh Xiao Jiu, great-grandfather won’t be able to see the day you open your Purple Mansion!"

"I only hope you don’t forget those words from back then; when the mountains of Jade Spring Peak are festooned with red satin, please tie a piece on my grave so that I may celebrate with the clan!"

A day later, when Yang Xingyan led his people to arrive outside Jade Spring Peak, they saw the entire mountain deserted, save for Zhou Minghan, who sat solemnly under the "Dragon Scale Tree" at the peak.

This left him and those accompanying Foundation Establishment cultivators baffled, completely uncertain of Zhou Minghan’s true intentions.

The Chen Family might have used the Communications Array to inform the Zhou Family of their arrival, which they were well aware of, so before coming, they had steeled themselves against finding anything worthwhile.

But none of them had expected that Zhou Minghan, the previous patriarch of the Zhou Family, would remain here alone awaiting their arrival!

"No, his aura isn’t right; although it resembles that of a ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, there’s no trace of life in it, not the aura of a living person!"

An old man with white hair stared intently at Zhou Minghan for a while and suddenly exclaimed in shock.

Yang Xingyan heard this, was startled, and immediately shouted: "Brother Ming Han? Brother Ming Han?"

As he called out, he released his Divine Sense to scan, and indeed, his Divine Sense suffered no obstruction.

Through his Divine Sense, although Zhou Minghan’s body retained some warmth, there was no trace of life.

"Brother Ming Han has sat and passed away!"

Yang Xingyan’s expression shifted, and finally, he retracted his Divine Sense, sighed deeply, and announced the result.

He and Zhou Minghan had known each other for a hundred years with considerable friendship, and although their positions differed now, seeing a friend who had known him for a century pass away like this before him brought a complex feeling.

However, those who had no friendship with Zhou Minghan or didn’t even know him before felt far less sentimental.

One cultivator amongst them, upon hearing Yang Xingyan’s words, also released his Divine Sense to scan and promptly exclaimed: "Look quickly, he has something in his hand; it seems to be a Memory Pearl!"