The Eastern Family Secret Realm, the morning mist still lingers.
Han Feng stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform of the martial arts arena, looking down at the hundreds of martial artists lined up neatly below. They were all at least at the mid-stage of the Innate Realm, with more than a dozen powerful clan leaders standing in the front row—the weakest of whom were at least at the fifth level of the late-stage Innate Realm.
"Is everyone here?" Han Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
Dongfang Lin stepped forward: "Reporting to the Star Lord, the elites of the seventy-six great families are all here, a total of four hundred and twenty-nine people, the lowest being the fourth level of the mid-stage of the Innate Realm."
Han Feng's gaze swept across the entire arena. These ancient martial arts experts, who were usually so arrogant, were now all standing with their heads bowed, even their breathing deliberately subdued. He nodded in satisfaction and raised his hand to draw a three-dimensional map in the air.
"There are nine targets today." As he spoke, nine red dots lit up on the map. "I will personally handle the Ling family, the Bai family, and the Situ family. The remaining six will be attacked simultaneously by the action groups that Wan Tang assigned to you last night."
The map then split into nine smaller sand tables, each displaying the three-dimensional structure of a family's secret realm. Han Feng tapped his finger, and the corresponding attack routes and personnel configurations appeared next to each sand table.
"Remember three points." Han Feng's voice suddenly turned cold. "First, act swiftly and decisively, don't give the enemy a chance to send messages; second, capture core members alive if possible; third..." A glint flashed in his eyes, "If you encounter the forces of the Nether Crystal Clan, retreat immediately and send a signal."
The crowd responded in unison, their voices so powerful that they dispersed some of the clouds above the secret realm.
Han Feng turned to the head of the Dongfang family: "Senior Dongfang, is the Ling family ready?"
"As instructed by the Star Lord, we have already dispatched men to set up a large isolation array around the Ling family compound," the Eastern Family Head said respectfully. "Even if there's a huge fight going on inside, the outside world won't notice."
"Very good." Han Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. "Let's go."
Hundreds of figures moved simultaneously, yet only a faint whooshing sound was heard. In the blink of an eye, only Han Feng and the Dongfang family's elite thirty-person squad remained on the training ground.
"Star Lord, we also..." The head of the Dongfang family was about to ask for instructions when Han Feng raised his hand to interrupt him.
"No rush." Han Feng looked at Dongfang Xun, "Brother-in-law, have things been arranged with Wang Hao?"
Dongfang Xun patted his chest: "I've sent three elders at the late-stage of the Innate Realm to secretly protect him, so there's no chance of anything going wrong. I'll be going to his place now."
Han Feng nodded and made a gesture with his right hand in front of him. The space was torn open like a curtain, revealing a passage where starlight flowed.
"Let's go, let's go meet that Ling family head." Han Feng walked inside without looking back.
At this moment, the Ling family was completely unaware of what was happening outside. The Ling family members were training as usual on the morning exercise field, oblivious to the impending annihilation. The family head, Ling Xiaotian, was meditating in his quiet room when suddenly a warning signal went off in his mind!
"Enemy attack—!"
A piercing alarm blared throughout the secret realm, but it was too late. The entire sky above the Ling family suddenly darkened, and countless illusory stars appeared, forming a gigantic net that blotted out the sky.
"Ling Xiaotian." Han Feng's voice came from all directions, "Colluding with overseas forces and betraying ancient martial arts secrets, what is the punishment?"
The Ling family's protective formation activated automatically, and seven layers of light shields rose instantly. Ling Xiaotian rushed out of the quiet room, his face ashen as he stared at the figure standing with his hands behind his back in the air.
"Han Feng!" he shouted sternly, "My Ling family has a clean reputation for generations, don't you dare make false accusations!"
Han Feng sneered, his right hand slowly pressing down. The star net in the air descended, and the moment it made contact with the clan's protective formation—
"Snap!"
The seven-layered light shield, supposedly capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a peak-stage Innate Realm cultivator, shattered layer by layer like an eggshell. Ling Xiaotian spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Impossible... This was left by our ancestors... How could it be..."
"A frog in a well." Han Feng took a step forward, already standing in front of Ling Xiaotian. "This is your last chance. Tell me about the overseas forces you were in contact with."
The elders of the Ling family only then reacted, roaring and rushing forward. Han Feng didn't even turn his head, lightly waving his left hand, and a starlight barrier appeared out of thin air, sending everyone flying dozens of feet away.
Ling Xiaotian's face was ashen, then he suddenly grinned maliciously: "You think you've won just like that?" He violently ripped open his shirt, revealing a blue crystal in his chest. "The power bestowed upon you by that lord will make you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Han Feng's index finger had already touched his brow.
\"puff!\"
The blue crystal shattered instantly. Ling Xiaotian shuddered violently, a strange blue light emanating from his seven orifices, before collapsing to the ground.
"He's not a core member of the Nether Crystal Clan; he's just been marked with a control mark." Han Feng withdrew his finger and said to the arriving members of the Dongfang family, "Soul searching won't work; pawns of this level can't access core intelligence."
Dongfang Xun examined the unconscious Ling Xiaotian: "What should we do?"
"Kill all the rebels." Han Feng turned and walked deeper into the secret realm. "If we're going to do it, we can't leave them with the strength to retaliate."
The head of the Dongfang family understood and immediately arranged for people to take control of all parts of the Ling family compound. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, this ancient martial arts family with a history of hundreds of years was completely wiped out, and the outside world was unaware that a great battle had taken place there.
"Star Lord!" Dongfang Xun rushed over. "I just received news that the Bai family is making unusual movements! They seem to have received advance warning and are activating some kind of teleportation array!"
A cold glint flashed in Han Feng's eyes: "Notify all groups to speed up their progress. As for the Bai family..." Starry phantoms began to appear around him, "...I'll go and meet them personally."
Before he finished speaking, he had already transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon. Dongfang Xun stared at the receding streak of light and unconsciously touched his chest—there, close to his body, was a star-shaped jade pendant, the "peace charm" that his sister had secretly given him that morning.
Above the Bai family compound, a black vortex a hundred meters in diameter was slowly rotating. Eerie blue lightning crackled at the vortex's edge, each flash accompanied by a sickeningly sharp sound of space tearing. Below, the secret realm was in complete chaos; Bai family members were fleeing in all directions like headless flies, while a dozen elders were desperately channeling spiritual energy into the altar to maintain the stability of the teleportation array.
"Hold on for another thirty breaths!" roared Bai Wuyai, the head of the Bai family, cracks already appearing on the array flag in his hand. "Once the Youjing Clan's leader arrives, these ants..."
His words were cut short. A dazzling starlight, like a sword of divine punishment, cleaved down, shearing off a corner of the altar. The three elders maintaining the formation instantly vaporized, not even having time to scream.
"Thirty breaths?" Han Feng's figure appeared in the starlight. "I'll give you three breaths. Kneel down and surrender."
"Lord of Star Souls!" Bai Wuyai's face was deathly pale, yet he still gritted his teeth and crushed the jade pendant in his hand. "Activate the Blood Sacrifice Array!"
The remaining Bai family elders slashed their wrists, blood crawling like venomous snakes across the altar's patterns. The black vortex suddenly accelerated its rotation, and a blurry blue figure attempted to traverse the spatial barrier!
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