C2 The First Chapter of the Story Was a Disaster.(2)

"Let's all attack together!" the middle-aged man had suddenly yelled.

A cadre of skilled fighters had lunged at Feng Yan simultaneously. Unfazed, he'd skillfully swung his arms, unleashing a continuous series of palm strikes that quickly forced several of the attackers to retreat from the courtyard.

Seizing the moment, the middle-aged woman and her allies had shifted their focus to Wu Yun. Although Wu Yun had been vigilant, she was physically frail and worried about harming her unborn child. The woman managed to snatch a mysterious pouch made of Demon Spirit Blood Deer Skin from her.

Realizing he was cornered, Feng Yan knew that no explanation would suffice, even if he were to leap into the depths of the Black Water River.

In a swift, calculated move, Feng Yan had thrown a powerful punch, unleashing a force that resembled a dragon skimming across the ground. This cleared a path for their escape. Picking up Wu Yun, he had bolted, and for over half a month, they were pursued across half of the eastern continent, finally cornered at the edge of Broken Soul Cliff.

Feng Yan's despair hadn't come from being trapped; it was rooted in an unresolved question that plagued him. What had happened to the object inside the pouch? Pursued for thousands of miles with no treasure to show for it, his frustration was unbearable.

"Feng Yan's running out of steam. Let's make our move. Whatever we decide to do with the treasure, we can sort it out later. At the very least, we need some closure," one of the attackers had suggested.

A shout from an unknown source had roused the crowd under the massive rock, filling the air with palpable tension.

Yet nobody had dared to take the first step. Previous group assaults had resulted in casualties, but curiously, none had befallen those who hesitated.

"Yan, I can't hold it in any longer; our baby is coming," Wu Yun had whispered weakly, lying hidden beneath the large rock.

"I'll fend them off. Here, take this—it's from the Yin Family, for helping them with their alchemy. They say it will get us across the Black Water River five times. Once you're on the other side, you're safe. Please, take good care of our child," Feng Yan instructed, stepping down from the large rock and helping Wu Yun to her feet.

Even with a thousand words left unsaid, time wasn't on his side to utter them.

After giving his instructions, Feng Yan climbed back onto the rock, focusing intently to reach peak performance; his family's escape hung in the balance.

"Listen, I'll lead and you all follow—just stay close," said the battered, pale-faced middle-aged woman, noticing the sky was about to lighten.

As she prepared to make her move, she suddenly shut off all her senses.

Sensing something was off, everyone else quickly unleashed their life-saving skills.

"Meng Ying, you poisoned us? Show yourself, you coward!" the middle-aged man yelled, seething with anger.

A figure appeared between Feng Yan and the middle-aged man, saying with a smirk, "Looks like my years of poisoning you weren't a waste—you recognized it right away."

"You'll pay for this! You've killed three of my four brothers with your poison!" Enraged, the middle-aged man lunged at Meng Ying.

The middle-aged woman and her companions wanted to curse the man for his recklessness. At such a crucial moment, his impatience was infuriating. But there was no turning back; they had to deal with Meng Ying first.

The middle-aged woman yelled, "Brother Meng, why are you getting involved in this mess? Don't you worry about ruining the Poison Sect?"

Another voice chimed in, "Exactly, Brother Meng, you're slated to be the next leader of the Poison Sect. Don't put us all at risk."

Meng Ying shot back, "I left the Poison Sect years ago. And even if I hadn't, since when would we fear you?" Though not a master of martial arts, Meng Ying exuded confidence, unwilling to appear weak.

Catching sight of Meng Ying, Feng Yan sighed in relief and returned to the large boulder to comfort Wu Yun.

Suddenly, the soft wail of a baby broke through the air, muffling the sounds of combat on the mountainside.

Everyone, except the unconscious Wu Yun and Feng Yan, felt a fleeting, inexplicable sense of pressure. It vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving them all slightly rattled.

Feng Yan cast an angry look at the Black Water River. "So you're after my son? I'll make you the fuel for his growth," he cursed.

With a flick of his index finger, Feng Yan unleashed a powerful surge of spiritual energy, shattering a bubble on the Black Water River. A dark figure darted out, trying to escape. Feng Yan's energy morphed into a porcelain-white hawk, which snatched the figure and brought it before him.

A dim light glowed from Feng Yan's fingertip, flowing into the dark figure. "You think you can target my son when you can't even stand the light?" he sneered.

All of a sudden, the dark figure erupted with an overwhelming aura, shaking the earth and sending waves on the Black Water River soaring into the sky.

In the depths of the cosmos, a peculiar galaxy twisted and flowed. A frail yet agitated voice resonated, "Who's daring enough to cross me?"

From the impenetrable darkness, another voice chimed in, "Ah, Old Ghost, duped again, are we? Wait, why did I say 'again'?"

"If we don't make our move now, then when?" The middle-aged woman glanced back at the closing crowd and charged forward. The world seemed to be in flux, an ideal moment for cunning maneuvers.

Fueled by adrenaline, everyone sprinted toward the cliff's edge.

The crowd behind them closed in more fiercely than anticipated. The middle-aged woman and her group barely reached the base of a massive boulder when their pursuers caught up, cornering a man named Meng Ying against it.

"Yun, don't forget what I told you." Feng Yan gave Wu Yun a medicinal pill and whisked her into a mystical boat-like artifact. Once assured she was awake, he reluctantly handed their child to her.

Leaping onto the boulder, Feng Yan surveyed the crowd below and realized they were outnumbered with no way out.

Thinking quickly, Feng Yan pulled Meng Ying from the boulder and, catching him off guard, thrust him into the spiritual artifact. "Little Meng, my wife and child are in your hands now," he said, launching the artifact off the cliff.

"Alright, time to face the consequences of messing with me," he declared.

With a thunderous roar, Feng Yan unleashed a torrent of magical pills from his ring. They spiraled in an uncanny arc, finally hovering over the crowd below.

"That's an Immortal Grade Medicine Pill!" someone shouted.

"And those are Great Master Level First Grade Bone Cleansing Waters!" another voice added.

"Look, Second Grade Heaven Breaking Pills at Grandmaster Level!" someone else marveled.

I just spotted a First Grade Spirit Nurturing Pill of Grandmaster Level!" another voice chimed in excitedly.

For a moment, everyone was dumbstruck by the airborne medicine pills swirling around.

It took them a while to remember to reach for them.

However, no one managed to grasp any of the pills. They collided with each other, creating a spectacle that was as quiet as it was terrifying. The mixed medicinal attributes formed a deadly poison. The dawn sky filled with a colorful mist and dust.

People touched by the mist began to rot from within, while others scratched themselves to shreds, unable to bear the itch. The cliffside turned into a nightmarish hellscape, its ground covered with rotting flesh and blood.

Suddenly, Feng Yan morphed into a hundred-foot-tall giant. His fists aflame, he rained down punches on the crowd below.

The ground split open, mountains shattered, and space itself seemed to tear apart, releasing a surge of chaotic energy from beyond.

Feng Yan's constant release of fire-based spiritual energy ignited the poisonous mist, enhancing its toxicity. No one could escape this deathly landscape.

Ironically, even Feng Yan couldn't avoid the consequences. His skin began to rot. Not wanting his wife to witness his gruesome state, he leapt into the roiling waters of the Black Water River.

From that day on, Broken Soul Cliff became a forbidden zone of death, untouched by humans for centuries.