C49 Night in the Tong Family

Chu Yangxiang exhaled softly after completing his cultivation session.

His understanding of the Martial God Heavenly Technique deepened with each passing moment.

On the cusp of reaching the Six-star level as a Martial Warrior, Chu Yangxiang could sense the intricate mysteries of the Heaven Martial Divine Cultivation Skill.

He was acutely aware of the Second Elder meditating on the artificial mountain outside his house. Chu Yangxiang had a clear sense of the elder's condition.

The Second Elder was in deep meditation, breathing evenly as if asleep.

Any slight disturbance near the Second Elder would undoubtedly be detected by him.

As a Profound Warrior Five-star, Chu Yangxiang's level was too low. Escaping under the watchful eye of a Profound Master was out of the question.

With the Second Elder in meditation, his Spiritual Power might be slightly diminished. Chu Yangxiang estimated that the elder would sense him the moment he stepped out of the house.

Chu Yangxiang gave a slight smile. "Tianwu, tonight I'm counting on you."

Tianwu returned the smile. "Rest assured. Let me take control of your body. Withdraw your Spiritual Power."

Subsequently, Chu Yangxiang's presence began to fade, blending seamlessly with the earth.

With a wave of his hand, Chu Yangxiang silently opened the window.

He left the house without causing a ripple in the air.

The window closed just as quietly.

Chu Yangxiang moved with the lightness of vapor, as if his body was nonexistent.

Feeling Tianwu's control, Chu Yangxiang was profoundly moved.

"Tianwu, to what extent can you reach?" Chu Yangxiang asked in amazement.

"With the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron, I believe I could attain the level of Profound Ancestor One-star or Two-star."

In Zhenhai City, being a Profound Master signified one's status as an expert. In Xuanwu County, a Profound General was likely the pinnacle of strength. Tianwu, at the peak of the Profound Sect, was an unbeatable presence there.

Tianwu's robust Spiritual Power wrapped around Chu Yangxiang. He smiled, "There's an essential difference between major and minor locales."

Chu Yangxiang soared into the sky, the landscape below seeming to rush backward at breakneck speed.

"In a small town, a fifteen-year-old reaching Profound Warrior Five-star status is quite impressive. Yet, in the Big-league Sects, only those who achieve Profound Sect by fifteen are considered geniuses," he mused, astonished by the revelation.

"My previous master had attained Profound Zong Five-star at the age of fifteen. You must strive to do even more," Heaven Martial Arts encouraged, smiling. "Now that you've obtained the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron, you must embrace the responsibilities it brings."

Chu Yangxiang refrained from inquiring about the exact nature of these responsibilities. He understood that he lacked the capacity to delve into such matters and that premature knowledge could be detrimental.

"Heaven Martial Arts, did your former master fulfill the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron's mission?" Chu Yangxiang asked.

Tianwu fell silent, his thoughts drifting to his master from a hundred millennia past. Wielding Cangtian Ye Buhan, his master ascended to Profound Lord Nine-star. He rallied the continent's mightiest to combat the Demonic Beast Big Tribulation. After the ordeal, he led his comrades towards the Peak Of Heaven.

But fate had other plans, and they met their demise. Thunder shattered their bodies and spirits, reducing them to dust. The Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron was shattered into ten fragments, scattered across the skies of Xuanwu Mainland.

Time and again, it was at the Peak Of The Nine-star, the pinnacle of Profound Lord, that they perished upon entering the Immortal Realm. Time and again, it was the Immortal Realm's calamities that extinguished their lives.

The memory sent shivers down Tianwu's spine, and he wondered if history might repeat itself.

Chu Yangxiang felt Tianwu's spirit tremble and his own heart echoed that tremor. It appeared that the last master of the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron had not completed its mission. Considering that even a fifteen-year-old Profound Ancestor Five-star had failed, the task's difficulty was evidently immense.

While in flight, Chu Yangxiang felt as if he were traversing a lengthy corridor of cultivation, ascending from the rank of Profound Warrior through Profound Master and Profound General, to Profound Ancestor, and ultimately reaching the pinnacle as a Nine-star Profound Lord.

"Tianwu, if I fail to fulfill the destiny of the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron, does that mean you won't be able to gain your freedom?" Chu Yangxiang asked with a sense of gravity.

"Let's not dwell on that now. It's premature. Just focus on diligently cultivating your martial arts," Tianwu replied with a light smile.

Chu Yangxiang understood that as long as he dedicated himself to his martial arts training, he could complete the mission. If he were to fail, the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise might face unforeseen circumstances. Reflecting on his journey, Chu Yangxiang realized that without encountering the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise at Xuanwu Spring, and without acquiring the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron there, he would still be a mere Profound Warrior of the Chu Family. Without Tianwu's protection and tutelage, he wouldn't have achieved his current status.

In his heart, Chu Yangxiang made a solemn vow: "By the heavens above and the earth below, I swear to fulfill the mission of the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron in this lifetime and secure Tianwu's freedom."

Chu Yangxiang kept his oath unspoken, silently pledging in the depths of his soul.

Tianwu felt a shiver in his heart, sensing the bond between him and Chu Yangxiang growing stronger. Tianwu knew that Chu Yangxiang must have made a vow on his behalf.

With this being Tianwu's final life, they were determined to fight side by side.

At the Tong Family estate, Chu Yangxiang covered a distance of six or seven miles in under seven minutes, arriving at the expansive courtyard.

From above, the Tong Family's compound seemed even more vast. Nestled in the bustling district of Xuanwu County, the Tong Family had constructed a grand manor spanning approximately 13 to 14 acres.

Bathed in starlight, Chu Yangxiang couldn't make out the details of the structures below, but he imagined the courtyard was replete with elegant pavilions, lofty towers, and intricate rockeries.

Chu Yangxiang couldn't help but admire the wealth of the Tong Family.

Suspended in the air, Chu Yangxiang sensed the Spiritual Power of Tianwu spreading out like a fishing net cast toward the Tong Family.

As Chu Yangxiang and Tianwu passed by the Pill Cauldron Divine Sect's Auction Hall, a strikingly beautiful woman detected a formidable presence.

With a swift movement, she conjured a whirlwind of Profound Power that lifted her into the sky. Scanning her surroundings, she found no trace of Profound Power fluctuations.

Even a Profound Sovereign Superior passing overhead would leave behind some residual Profound Force Energy or a slight trace.

The woman, her long hair nearly reaching her knees, shook her head gently and murmured to herself, "Perhaps I was mistaken."

She then descended silently and returned to her small abode, shrouded in Moonlight Stone.

Tianwu quickly ascertained that these individuals were located in the eastern part of the Tong Family's central living room.

Like a phantom in the night, Chu Yangxiang, guided by Tianwu, flew to the living room. He landed silently above the living room, evading the eighteen guards stationed around the courtyard.

The living room was modestly sized and square.

An ancient and weathered pine tree painting adorned the center of the room, accompanied by a couplet with simple yet powerful calligraphy, exuding an air of supreme arrogance.

The room's decor, illuminated by thick red candles, appeared even more stately and majestic.

In the center of the living room stood a large table designed to seat eight, around which six individuals were seated, drinking wine. They were mostly middle-aged, ranging from their forties to sixties.

Chu Yangxiang lay prone on the rooftop, his senses heightened by Tianwu's Spiritual Power, allowing him to perceive every detail within the living room.

He observed an elegantly dressed elder rise to his feet and lift a jade wine cup towards his companion. The wine within sparkled with clarity, its aroma reaching Chu Yangxiang on the rooftop.

"The Forth Commander, this is your first visit to our Tong Family. On behalf of our Patriarch and the entire Tong Family, I extend our heartfelt thanks," he said, toasting with The Forth Commander. The elder, in his clean and neat appearance, was a tall man in his forties or fifties, exuding a warm demeanor.

Liang Bo, bald and gleaming under the glow of red candlelight, addressed The Third Elder with humility. "You're far too kind, Elder. I'm merely a stray dog seeking refuge under your roof. If you could spare me a morsel of food and a place to stay, my gratitude would know no bounds."

With a glass of wine warming his belly, Liang Bo declared, "If it means obliterating the Chu Family and exacting revenge for our fallen brothers in the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group, I would gladly lay down my life without a second thought."

The Third Elder let out a knowing chuckle. "Commander, rest assured, the Tong Family has already devised a foolproof strategy to utterly annihilate the Chu Family."