Chapter 216: Chapter 194: Sneak Attack, Death of the Le Family Patriarch

Half an hour later, Le Mingcheng’s figure reappeared before the Le Family’s tall gatehouse. His face was pale as paper, his lips drained of color. His aura was faint and unsteady, and he even had a barely perceptible stagger in his step, as if he had forced himself to return after a life-or-death battle.

The two Mid-stage Qi Cultivation disciples guarding the gate were shocked to see the Patriarch’s heir—one of the family’s only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators—return in such a sorry state. Their minds instantly filled with countless speculations and curiosities.

However, Le Mingcheng’s authority in the Le Family was immense, his status transcendent. The two guards didn’t dare betray a hint of curiosity. Hastily suppressing the waves of speculation in their minds, they bowed in unison, their posture utterly deferential. "Greetings, Elder Mingcheng!"

Lu Zhao was on high alert. Mimicking Le Mingcheng’s habitual coldness and arrogance, he merely let out a nearly inaudible "Hn" from his nose in response.

His gaze didn’t linger on the guards. He passed straight through the gatehouse and followed the path to Le Mingcheng’s abode from memory. His steps were heavy, a genuine weakness from his loss of Essence Blood, but it perfectly suited the ’severely injured’ state he needed to portray.

He returned to Le Mingcheng’s abode, located in the core area of the family estate where the Spiritual Qi was relatively dense. With a wave of his hand, the heavy stone door slowly swung shut behind him, sealing him off from the outside world.

The furnishings inside Le Mingcheng’s abode were simple, reflecting a distinctly cold and austere style. A faint scent of sandalwood, unique to the Le Family, permeated the air. Instead of immediately meditating to recover, Lu Zhao walked over to the Communication Array and injected a wisp of Magical Power into it.

A moment later, the Restriction on the abode wavered slightly, and a middle-aged cultivator walked in briskly. He wore the uniform of a Le Family Steward and had a capable-looking face with sharp eyes.

This was Le Ping, Le Mingcheng’s trusted confidant, a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer. Upon seeing Lu Zhao’s pale face and weak aura, his pupils contracted sharply. His face instantly filled with worry and shock. "Elder! You... What happened to you? Did you run into trouble?"

Lu Zhao raised a hand to stop him from coming forward to offer support. In a voice he deliberately made low and hoarse, tinged with exhaustion but leaving no room for argument, he said, "It’s fine. Just a small injury. Le Ping, go and inform the Patriarch at once. Tell him... I’m waiting for him at Jingbo Pavilion. I have something important to discuss." He deliberately stressed the words "Jingbo Pavilion" and "something important," his tone grave.

Staring at his Elder’s unprecedentedly weak state, Le Ping’s mind filled with doubt. He had countless questions he wanted to ask. ’Who hurt the Elder? How did he get so badly injured? And what is this "important matter"?’

But under Le Mingcheng’s long-established authority, he knew full well what to ask and what not to. Le Ping’s lips moved, but he ultimately swallowed all his questions. With a deep bow, he answered grimly, "Yes, Elder! I’ll go at once!" Without another moment’s hesitation, he turned and hurried from the abode, his figure quickly vanishing down the outer corridor.

Lu Zhao watched Le Ping’s figure disappear and felt his heart settle slightly. ’Le Mingcheng holds a special status in the Le Family. Le Zhongshan would never ignore a summons delivered by his most trusted subordinate.’

After Le Ping left, Lu Zhao sat down cross-legged, seizing the opportunity to regulate his breathing. At the same time, he reviewed all the details about Jingbo Pavilion from Le Mingcheng’s memories—its location, the Restrictions in place, its layout, and Le Zhongshan’s probable reactions.

Half an hour later, Lu Zhao appeared before a secluded Quiet Chamber deep within the Le Family estate. An old wooden plaque hung before the chamber, inscribed with the two powerful words: "Jingbo Pavilion."

The area was protected by Restrictions that blocked Divine Sense and guarded by multiple layers of Arrays. It was the place where the core members of the Le Family discussed their most secret affairs, and, according to Le Mingcheng’s memories, it was the usual spot for his private meetings with his father, Le Zhongshan.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside. The pavilion’s furnishings were simple and archaic, containing only a stone table and a few meditation cushions. The four walls were bare, save for a Bronze Incense Burner in one corner, from which wisps of soul-calming green smoke gently rose.

Lu Zhao chose a meditation cushion, sat down, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. He waited quietly. Time flowed by in the silence, the only movement being the green smoke silently curling from the incense burner.

After another fifteen minutes, the Restrictions around Jingbo Pavilion wavered again. A stern-faced, dignified old man in a black brocade robe strode in. This was none other than the Le Family Patriarch, the Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Le Zhongshan.

The moment Le Zhongshan stepped into Jingbo Pavilion, his hawk-like gaze locked onto his son on the meditation cushion. His stern expression changed instantly when he saw Le Mingcheng’s bloodless face and feeble aura. A light of shock and fury erupted in his eyes. He darted forward, his voice filled with urgency and disbelief, "Mingcheng! What’s wrong?! Who hurt you this badly?!"

Lu Zhao opened his eyes at just the right moment, his expression showing the perfect blend of lingering fear and weakness. He struggled to rise, but Le Zhongshan pressed him back down by the shoulder.

He settled back onto the cushion and, in an even hoarser and weaker voice, began to slowly deliver his prepared lines:

"Father..." he called out with difficulty, his breath unsteady. "I... not long after I left the estate, I realized I was being followed."

"At first, I sensed the person’s aura was only at the Early-stage of Foundation Establishment, so I didn’t think much of it. I even considered stopping to test them... but who could have known..."

A look of lingering terror crossed his face, and his speech quickened. "But that person gave me no chance to talk! The moment I stopped, he attacked without warning! His assault was fierce and vicious, and his power was far beyond that of an ordinary Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator! I was no match for him at all!"

As he spoke, a look of anguish crossed his face. With a trembling hand, he retrieved an object from Le Mingcheng’s Storage Bag—it was the Water Jade Bell, now covered in cracks, its Spirit Light dim, and on the verge of shattering into pieces!

"Father, look!" Lu Zhao’s voice was filled with grief and indignation. "He even shattered the Water Jade Bell!"

Le Zhongshan’s gaze fell upon the Water Jade Bell, and his pupils contracted abruptly! The Water Jade Bell was a top-quality item among Tier Two Lower Grade Magical Artifacts. Both its Defense Power and offensive capabilities were quite impressive.

The fact that someone could damage the bell to this extent meant they were no ordinary Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. The shock and anger on Le Zhongshan’s face were instantly replaced by solemnity. He said in a deep voice, "The Water Jade Bell is this damaged? This person’s strength... is likely on par with someone at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment! Mingcheng, tell me everything. What is this person’s background? What kind of Cultivation Technique and Magical Artifacts did he use?"

Le Zhongshan began to pace within the pavilion as he asked, his brow tightly furrowed. Clearly, the news Lu Zhao had brought, combined with his son’s injuries, had shaken him to the core. He began to rapidly contemplate countermeasures and the enemy’s origins.

Seeing he had Le Zhongshan’s full attention, Lu Zhao sneered inwardly. His face, however, remained weak, now showing a flicker of dawning realization as he continued to drop key information:

"Father, this person is truly powerful, far beyond my expectations. But after we fought, I discovered something... I think we might have been wrong about his origins all along!" He paused deliberately, watching Le Zhongshan’s reaction.

Just as he’d expected, Le Zhongshan stopped pacing. He whipped his head around, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Wrong? What do you mean?"

Lu Zhao took a deep breath as if steeling himself. He lowered his voice, a hint of trepidation in his tone, "I suspect... he might be connected to the Demon Dao!"

"In the heat of battle, he summoned Zombies to fight for him! Those Zombies reeked of Corpse Qi, were completely fearless, and were incredibly hard to deal with! When I was fighting for my life to break free, I managed to capture one. Father, look!"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, he made a show of retrieving the "Zombie" from his Storage Bag.

When Le Zhongshan heard the words "Demon Dao" and "Zombie," the tension in his heart subconsciously eased. ’A Demonic Cultivator? That’s good! At least I don’t have to worry about him reporting us to Xuan Yang Immortal City.’

’Besides, Demonic Cultivators operate in the shadows and are hunted by all. As long as the Le Family cleans up properly, there’ll be no loose ends.’ His tense expression even eased a fraction. With a gaze full of scrutiny and a hint of curiosity, he looked toward the "war trophy" his son was about to produce, eager to see what was so special about a Zombie refined by a Demonic Cultivator.

In the very instant Le Zhongshan’s guard lowered and his attention was completely captivated by the "Zombie"...

Disaster struck!

A terrifying pressure—cold, violent, and reeking of death—erupted without warning inside Jingbo Pavilion!

The source of the pressure was the "Zombie" Lu Zhao had just released from his Storage Bag. But this was no Zombie—it was a Tier Two Lower Grade Strong Demon Ape Corpse Puppet!

The moment its Dark Gold body appeared, it was as if a slumbering Ancient Fierce Beast had abruptly awakened. A crimson glow flared to life in its eye sockets. Its millstone-sized fists, wreathed in dense black gas and Corpse Evil, let out a terrifying shriek that tore through the air as it lunged toward the nearby Le Zhongshan with lightning speed!

It all happened too fast! Too suddenly!

However, as a veteran Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Le Zhongshan was rich in combat experience. The instant the Corpse Puppet’s aura flared, the hairs on his body stood on end, and a lethal sense of crisis washed over him like a bucket of ice water. He instinctively moved to execute an Escape Technique and evade!

However, in that subtle, vulnerable moment—just as he was about to move, his old momentum spent and new momentum not yet gathered—

another lethal attack erupted from "Le Mingcheng"!

A cold light flared in "Le Mingcheng’s" eyes, all traces of weakness gone! He formed a sword-finger seal, instantly activating the Hundred Waters Magic Disc he had prepared long ago! A deep blue Water Blade, as thick as a man’s arm but condensed to an almost solid state, shot forth!

Though launched second, the Water Blade arrived first, its speed surpassing even the Corpse Puppet’s fist! It slashed with unerring precision toward the spot where Le Zhongshan’s Escape Light was about to appear, as if predicting the future, completely cutting off any chance of escape!

Le Zhongshan’s very soul threatened to flee his body in terror! He felt as if he were caught in an inescapable net, with nowhere to run! His survival instincts flared, driving him to unleash his full potential!

"Block it!" Le Zhongshan roared. A pained flicker crossed his eyes, but his actions were lightning-fast! He slapped the Storage Bag at his waist, and a pale gold Talisman, shimmering with Spirit Light and covered in complex Runes, appeared instantly in his hand. It was his prized Tier Two Lower Grade Defense Talisman—the Golden Armor Talisman!

HUMMM!

The Talisman activated instantly, transforming into a solid, pale gold Light Shield covered in ancient Runes, barely forming in front of him in time!

However, the power of Lu Zhao’s long-planned, all-out strike far exceeded Le Zhongshan’s estimations!

SHLIIICK!

Like a hot knife through butter! Faced with the incomparably sharp, chillingly corrosive power of the azure blade-light, the seemingly sturdy, pale gold Light Shield held for less than a single breath! The blade-light shattered it with irresistible force, tearing through its defense with ease!

The look of horror on Le Zhongshan’s face froze.

Its momentum undiminished, the blade-light carried the absolute finality of severing all things as it viciously hacked into Le Zhongshan’s body, which was already unstable from his failed Escape Technique!

SQUELCH!

Blood gushed out like a fountain! Le Zhongshan’s Protective Spiritual Light shattered like paper-mache, and half of his torso, along with one arm, was instantly severed by the blade! His face was still frozen in a look of ultimate horror and disbelief, but his body had already been torn asunder by the savage Sword Qi!

The current Patriarch of the Le Family, the Foundation Establishment cultivator Le Zhongshan, was unable to even let out a proper scream. Caught in this meticulously laid deathtrap, he was sliced in two by a single strike from his ’own son,’ ’Le Mingcheng’!

His severed remains crashed to the floor, and blood instantly stained the smooth bluestone tiles of the Quiet Chamber. The thick stench of blood mingled with the lingering fragrance of sandalwood, creating a bizarre and grisly scene.

Now, the only sounds in the Quiet Chamber were Lu Zhao’s slightly ragged breaths and the silent presence of the Tier Two Demon Ape Corpse Puppet, which radiated a cold Corpse Evil Qi.

But after resting for only a moment, Lu Zhao moved again. He walked over to Le Zhongshan’s remains and formed another sword-finger seal. A crimson Spirit Light gathered at his fingertip as he gently tapped the spot between Le Zhongshan’s brows.

"Blood Soul-Searching Skill!"

His cold voice was like a final judgment as a bloody, sinister power instantly invaded Le Zhongshan’s remnant Soul...

「An hour later.」

Lu Zhao opened his eyes. He now knew everything about the Le Family, including the locations of their secret vault and their Grand Warehouse, the amount of Spiritual Materials stored within, and where to find the complete legacy of their Middle-Grade Cultivation Technique...

He was quite interested in the Le Family’s legacy. After all, their techniques shared a common origin, and it might offer some insight that could help his own cultivation of the *True Water Spirit Transformation Skill*.

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