LRAB Page 76
Page 76
Then, he changed the subject, his tone becoming calm and decisive.
"But, a country has its laws, and a family has its rules."
"These thirty-six people belong to various sects and factions. How to deal with them should be decided by each sect itself."
The old master's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice not loud, but every word resounding.
"Our attitude toward this matter is that each sect should handle it according to its own rules. Longhu Mountain will not interfere and has no right to interfere."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was taken aback.
They never expected that the old master would make such a decision.
But when I think about it carefully, I can't refute it.
This is indeed the most compliant and fair approach at present.
Before anyone could speak again, the old Celestial Master's voice suddenly turned stern, and a terrifying pressure belonging to a top expert descended with a roar!
He slammed his hand on the armrest, his eyes flashing with cold light.
"If those wicked people from Quanxing dare to use this matter to stir up trouble, protect traitors, or attack any of my righteous sects..."
The old Celestial Master slowly stood up, his tall figure seemingly transforming into an unshakeable, majestic mountain at that moment.
"Then I, Longhu Mountain, am willing to be the pioneer for the world, the first to completely wipe them off this world!"
These words were chillingly menacing and resounding!
It instantly directed the pent-up anger in everyone's hearts toward a common enemy.
This also made everyone clearly feel Longhushan's unquestionable determination and bottom line.
Silence fell once again in the hall.
But this time, it wasn't oppressive, it was solemn.
The representatives from each faction looked at the white-haired old man before them, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
In the end, they said nothing, but silently bowed to the old Celestial Master from afar, then turned around and left the guest hall with heavy hearts.
They were going to enforce their family rules and cleanse their own household.
An internal purge destined to be bloody was thus launched.
Once everyone had left, the living room finally returned to silence.
The old master's sternness and decisiveness vanished instantly, replaced by endless weariness and heartache.
He seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, and slowly sat back down in his chair.
"Master..."
Tian Jinzhong stepped forward, his voice choked with emotion.
"No need to say more."
Zhang Jingqing waved his hand, raised his head, and looked at Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Yunyuan, who had been standing quietly beside him. His eyes were filled with only cold determination.
"I just want to ask you one question."
"Find Huaiyi and bring him back. Is that possible?"
The three of them felt a chill and knelt down on one knee.
"This disciple would gladly die a thousand deaths!"
The old master suddenly stood up, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.
"Zhiwei, you take the lead, and Jinzhong and Yunyuan, you two will assist you from the side."
"Down the mountain immediately!"
Chapter 88 The Divine Painter Appears
After months of searching, all efforts came to nothing.
Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Yunyuan, and Tian Jinzhong traversed almost half of China, yet they couldn't find even a single hair on Zhang Huaiyi's head.
Zhang Zhiwei, the senior disciple who used to always have a lazy smile, is now as silent as a stone. Only when the night is quiet will he look at the starry sky, lost in thought.
The third senior brother, Tian Jinzhong, always had an unyielding worry and confusion on his honest face.
Zhang Yunyuan followed behind his two senior brothers, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He knew that the disappearance of his senior brother Huaiyi was only the beginning of this huge storm.
Meanwhile, a massive bloodbath had already erupted in the world of supernatural beings.
The title of "Thirty-Six Thieves" was like a branding mark of shame, firmly established.
One bad news after another came like snowflakes from all directions, chilling people to the bone:
Liu Deshui of Yanwu Hall was being hunted down by his sect. With nowhere to run, he was forced to jump off a cliff and died without a complete corpse.
Dou Ruchang of the Secret Painting Sect, whose sect and Quanxing Sect were sworn enemies, was captured and killed by disembowelment and heart-cutting.
Wei Shufen from Qinghe Miao Village, Tian Xiaodie from the Wuhou School, Hu Haiwang from the Shuzi School...
One by one, several more people were confirmed to have been publicly executed by their respective sects or families.
Their deaths varied, but without exception, their fates were all tragic.
Each name that came through was like a heavy hammer blow, striking hard into the hearts of Zhang Zhiwei and the other two.
Those once vibrant faces, full of youthful vigor and engaging in lively discussions with them, are now cold corpses, symbols of shame.
This world is changing too fast and too cruel.
The three lost all interest in searching and had no choice but to return to Longhu Mountain to report back.
Not long after returning to the mountain, one late night, Zhang Yunyuan was sitting in meditation.
Suddenly, a stronger and clearer vibration than ever before emanated from the "Cave Heaven Ring" on his left index finger.
The fluctuations originated from the distant Qinling Mountains.
Zhang Yunyuan suddenly opened his eyes, a clear understanding forming in his mind.
Within the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, the earth-shattering "enlightenment" has been successfully completed.
Those who survived comprehended the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, which were enough to overturn the entire world of supernatural beings!
An invitation from the Wang family, one of the four major families, was sent to all the major sects in the world.
The content of the post was earth-shattering.
With its unfathomable intelligence network and special methods, the Wang family successfully captured one of the survivors of the Thirty-Six Thieves—Feng Tianyang.
The Wang family issued a call to arms, inviting all factions to Wangjia Village for a joint trial.
This move serves both to demonstrate the Wang family's power and to completely expose the secrets of the Thirty-Six Thieves to the public.
Longhu Mountain was naturally among those invited.
The old Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing immediately decided to personally lead Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Yunyuan, and Tian Jinzhong over there.
They hoped to learn the whereabouts of the remaining thirty-six thieves from Feng Tianyang so that they could find Zhang Huaiyi.
Several days later, Wangjia Village.
This place is less like a village and more like a massive, heavily fortified fortress.
Towering walls and numerous sentry posts stand alongside a continuous stretch of buildings with blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding a profound and majestic aura.
At the village entrance archway, the Wang family members, dressed in uniform, stood arrogantly, rigorously checking the various groups of people who came to the meeting.
As Zhang Yunyuan and his group stepped into the Wang family compound, the long-absent system notification sound finally rang in their minds again.
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Wang Family Compound.]
[Should I check in?]
Zhang Yunyuan silently recited the words in his mind, but his face remained expressionless.
【Check-in successful! 】
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward—Ghost Hand Divine Paint (Beginner)!]
The moment the reward arrived, a profound and mysterious torrent of insight surged into his soul.
That was not the "Divine Paint" technique that the Wang family now uses, which focuses more on tracking, marking, and sealing.
Rather, it is its long-lost original version, which is closer to the concept of the legendary "Ma Liang's Magic Brush"!
It can use its own Qi as "ink" and the void as "paper" to draw objects or phenomena with temporary realistic effects.
Drawing a circle on the ground can create a temporary prison; drawing a sword can unleash a thunderous strike; drawing a shield can defend against a powerful enemy for a moment.
It can even draw simple environmental changes and command temporarily drawn mythical beasts.
The strength and duration of its effect are closely related to the artist's mental strength and the quantity and quality of the Qi they infuse.
This technique demands an extremely high level of control over mental energy and precise manipulation of Qi.
Zhang Yunyuan's heart was filled with turbulent emotions, but his face remained increasingly calm.
He glanced discreetly at a teacup on the stone table in the courtyard, and a thought struck him.
Under his mental constructs, a wisp of barely perceptible primordial energy could become "ink," drawing a non-existent crack on the "concept" of a teacup.
If successful, the teacup will actually crack.
This is the terrifying aspect of "Ghost Hands and Divine Paint": directly altering reality!
He suppressed his excitement and followed his master into the already overcrowded trial compound.
In the center of the courtyard, a high platform was erected.
On the high platform, a man with disheveled hair and his body tightly bound by iron chains engraved with runes was nailed firmly to a huge wooden cross frame.
It is precisely the wind and the sky that nurture.
He was covered in wounds and weak, but his eyes still burned with an indomitable flame as he stared intently at the so-called "reputable sects" below the stage.
He looked into those greedy, hypocritical, and gloating eyes, and a mocking sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.