Chapter 171: Inner Fear
"BOOM!!! BOOM!!!"
A terrifying explosion, like a thunderclap from the heavens, resounded throughout the Murong Manor! A visible shockwave, like a raging sea, spread outwards in a ring from the two figures! Wherever it passed, all the doors and windows of the manor swung open, and the remaining flowers, plants, and trees were instantly reduced to nothing! The sturdy stone lampposts crumbled and collapsed like paper! A thick layer of earth was scraped away from the ground!
At the point where light and cold air collided, destruction and freezing collided, Murong Mingde's body was struck head-on by a towering mountain! His protective icy aura instantly dissipated! He knelt heavily on the ground, the sound of his kneecaps shattering clearly audible!
"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, staining the ground before him crimson. He struggled to lift his head, gazing in a certain direction, his eyes filled with endless longing and profound pain. With his last ounce of strength, he squeezed out two weak yet crystal-clear words from between his bloodied teeth: "Han...Chan..." All his strength, all his attachments, all the flame of life, were extinguished with that call. His body slumped, collapsing heavily to the ground, lifeless. A hero of his generation had fallen here.
Deep underground in the Murong Manor, in a dark secret chamber, Murong Hanchan sat cross-legged. At the moment her father's life was extinguished, her heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and a sudden, excruciating pain shot through her! "Ugh..." Her brows furrowed sharply, and fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on her smooth forehead.
At this moment, the aura surrounding her had solidified into a tangible barrier, firmly enveloping her like a giant cocoon of light. The two extreme energies within her—extreme cold and extreme heat—were at the crucial juncture of fusing and breaking through to the Transcendent Realm! The deafening shouts of battle, her father's mournful cries, the devastating impact… all sounds and disturbances were shut out by this powerful aura cocoon; she felt nothing. Only the palpitation originating from the depths of her bloodline, like a cold, venomous snake, silently burrowed into her mind, bringing a sense of foreboding…
The dust settled in the courtyard, leaving only deathly silence. Shangguan Qinghuan recklessly channeled his inner energy, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his face pale from overexertion. "Hmm..." he groaned, feeling as if the icy energy within his father's body was like ancient, stubborn ice, unable to break free even with his full-force energy exertion!
Fu Xiuming stepped forward slowly, extending his left hand and casually placing it on Shangguan Qinghuan's shoulder. A surge of abundant, pure, and powerful true energy, like a vast ocean, instantly flooded into Shangguan Qinghuan's body, then seamlessly merged into the torrent of true energy he had infused into her!
"Ah!!" Shangguan Yanxin suddenly let out a painful yet exhilarating roar! With the help of this unimaginably powerful external force, he finally felt the stubborn icy shackles within his body being instantly broken! He thrust both palms forward fiercely!
"boom!!!"
A concentrated, chilling white aura surged forth like a collapsing snow mountain, crashing violently into the pond ahead! With a deafening roar, the entire pond, along with the surrounding artificial hills and vegetation within a radius of several meters, was instantly covered and frozen solid by a thick layer of ice emitting a sinister white vapor! The scene was horrifying!
Shangguan Qinghuan felt a lightness on his shoulder as Fu Xiuming withdrew his hand. He let out a long sigh, calming his churning internal energy, and quickly stood up to help his weak father to his feet: "Father! How are you feeling? Has the cold poison been expelled?"
"Cough...cough cough..." Shangguan Yanxin coughed violently, clutching his still aching chest. Looking at the pond in front of him, which had instantly turned into a frozen wasteland, he sighed in a hoarse voice, still shaken: "So...so domineering icy energy...If it weren't for you, senior...I would have died today..." His eyes were filled with gratitude and awe as he looked at Fu Xiuming.
Shangguan Qinghuan's gaze swept over the cold corpse of Murong Mingde not far away, but he felt little pleasure; instead, a strong unease rose within him. He frowned and said, "Father, although that old scoundrel Murong is dead, but... why is that perverted maniac Murong Hanchan nowhere to be seen? If she... if she doesn't die, the consequences will be endless!" Recalling the scene of being tormented by Murong Hanchan like a cat playing with a mouse, he still felt a chill.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yanxin's expression changed drastically. His previous relief was instantly replaced by immense worry: "Yes! Senior! That Murong Hanchan is exceptionally talented, her cultivation is unfathomable, and her temperament is even more... unpredictable! If she doesn't die, she will surely seek revenge, and our Xiantian Sect may be in grave danger!"
He spoke urgently to Fu Xiuming, his voice filled with barely concealed fear. Recalling his battle with Murong Hanchan in Longyang City, where he was utterly humiliated and beaten to the ground, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine! His son's description of him as a "freak" now seemed incredibly apt!
Fu Xiuming stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the ravaged and corpse-strewn Murong mansion. His tone was calm and even, yet carried an air of absolute control: "Rest assured. The entire Murong mansion, men, women, and children, has been exterminated without exception. If Murong Hanchan had even a shred of humanity left, knowing what happened today, she would surely come knocking on our door." He paused, as if feeling the need to leave something behind. He casually raised his right foot and lightly stomped it on the blood-stained ground—
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"
On the hard ground, amidst flying gravel and dust, three large, bold characters, each an inch deep and written in a flamboyant and provocative style, were clearly visible: "Innate Sect!"
Having done all this, Fu Xiuming acted as if he had only done a trivial matter, no longer looking at anyone, and turned to leave. Shangguan Qinghuan and his son exchanged glances, both seeing deep fear and unease in each other's eyes.
The two hurriedly stumbled forward, Shangguan Yanxin bowing deeply, his voice almost pleading: "Senior! Senior, please wait! These days... we beg you to stay and oversee our Xiantian Sect! If that demoness comes... only you can stop her! My son and I will do our utmost to serve you well!"
Shangguan Qinghuan quickly echoed, "Yes, Master! Please stay! Protect us!"
Fu Xiuming continued walking without stopping, never turning his head, leaving only his indifferent words drifting in the blood-soaked air:
"Your worries are unnecessary." As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared like a ghost outside the dilapidated mansion gate, as if he had never been there at all.
As Shangguan Qinghuan and his son looked in the direction where Fu Xiuming had disappeared, then at the three glaring characters on the ground, and then at the hellish scene around them, the fear in their hearts not only did not lessen, but instead felt like ice in their crotches, making them even more terrified.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the despair in each other's eyes. Shangguan Yanxin struggled to say, "Quick...quick! Go back to the Xiantian Sect immediately! Strengthen the defenses!" The two dared not linger any longer, supporting each other, staggering out of the mansion with the terror of surviving a disaster.
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