ALL NOVEL Chapter 88: Seizing the Island
Peach Blossom Island.
This island boasted stunning scenery with vast peach blossom forests. During their peak blooming season, petals fluttered gracefully, creating a breathtaking sight.
Mirror Moon Lake.
The lake’s surface shimmered like a flat mirror, surrounded by ascending spiritual mist that reflected the moonlight - clearly indicative of an active formation.
Shhhhh!
One day, five streaks of light approached swiftly from the horizon, striking the formation with lightning speed.
Inside the Lu family compound near Mirror Moon Lake,
Ruan Xingling’s face was cold as ice as she tossed a severed head, unmistakably Lu Jingqing’s. Her voice, infused with a hint of magical energy, echoed throughout the entire estate, “Lu Jingqing is dead!”
Their arrival was so swift that the formation had no time to fully activate.
Moreover, Ruan Xingling seemed well-acquainted with the Lu Clan’s formations, directly targeting the eye of the spell and beheading an Initial Stage Qi Refinement elder with a single sword strike!It appeared this protective array of the Lu Clan might have once belonged to the Ruan Family…
Additionally, with the clan leader, a Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator, and four Mid-Stage Qi Refinement experts already slain, only Initial Stage Qi Refinement members remained, posing little threat to Fang Xi’s group.
Thus, after killing Lu Jingqing, Ruan Xingling chose to launch a decisive final assault!
More crucially… Feng Baimeng did not accompany them on this mission!
Perhaps Ruan Xingling felt her presence alone was enough to suppress any resistance, or maybe she had other important matters to attend to.
In any case, the dirty work now fell upon Fang Xi and his three companions.
For rogue cultivators, this might not be considered dirty work but rather a lucrative opportunity. After all, by convention, the spoils of defeating a great enemy belong to the vanquisher.
“Kill those with Lu bloodline!”
“Kill anyone resisting or refusing surrender!”
“Kill anyone deliberately damaging property!”
Seated at the formation’s central hub, Ruan Xingling uttered these three chilling ‘kill’ commands, akin to a declaration that unleashed a wave of slaughter.
This is the reality of the cultivation world - if you don’t kill, others will surely kill you.
Fang Xi, clutching the Qinghe Sword, wore a cold expression as he kicked open a room door.
“Aaahh, I’ll take you down!” Inside the room, a plump young man in the Initial Stage Qi Refinement brandished a paper talisman, instantly activating its magical energy.
Several green wooden arrows struck Fang Xi’s protective aura, causing ripples but failing to penetrate his defenses.
Being only at the Initial Stage Qi Refinement, while Fang Xi was already in Mid-Stage Qi Refinement, the disparity in their realms proved decisive!
With the Qinghe Sword in hand, Fang Xi wielded it like an ordinary blade. In one swift motion, he sliced through the cultivator’s neck, sending the head flying.
A woman’s scream echoed from within the room.
Frowning slightly, Fang Xi noticed it was just a mortal and deemed her unworthy of his attention. Without hesitation, he moved on to another target.
‘This time, I must display some true strength.’
‘Yes, let’s use True Force level martial arts… Mid-Stage Qi Refinement combined with second stage of Body Tempering should suffice!’
With True Force coursing through his feet, Fang Xi’s figure became ghostly swift, effortlessly darting past several individuals like a fleeting shadow.
Caught off guard, these few suddenly found their bodies severed at the waist, collapsing onto the ground amidst agonizing screams: “Aaaaaah!”
Blood mixed with peach blossoms, scattering wildly across the courtyard.
“Kill them, protect our Lu Clan!”
“Fight to the death against these enemies!”
Most rogue cultivators knelt, pleading for mercy, but the remaining members of the Lu Clan fiercely resisted.
After all, they knew well that the Ruan Family would never spare them!
An elderly Lu Clan cultivator, with white hair, roared furiously, seemingly invoking some demonic secret technique. His aura surged to Mid-Stage Qi Refinement as paper talismans shimmered in his hands.
“Little Thunder Talisman?!” Wei Yixin cried out in horror, struck by lightning and sent flying, coughing blood.
“Fall back and defend! Wait until the effect of his secret technique wears off!” The old Daoist Xiu Mu waved his horsetail whisk, firmly shielding himself.
At that moment, Fang Xi approached, wielding the Qinghe Sword and charging directly towards the old man.
“Go!”
The grim-faced old man swiftly raised his hand and unleashed another Fireball Talisman.
Boom!
The fiery blast shattered Fang Xi’s protective aura, threatening to engulf him entirely.
In the next moment, Fang Xi channeled his True Force, slashing with his sword. Astonishingly, he cleaved through the flames, followed by a swift upward thrust.
Pop!
Qinghe Sword pierced the old man’s defensive magical artifact, sending it flying, then streaked like a jade arc piercing the sun directly into the elder’s chest.
“Kill…kill the traitor…” The old man murmured, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Thud!
Fang Xi withdrew the Qinghe Sword without sparing a glance at the fallen corpse, immediately turning towards the remaining Lu Clan Qi Refinement cultivators.
As his sword flashed, heads rolled relentlessly.
This scene left Wei Yixin and his wife visibly shaken, their faces drained of color, filled with terror.
Meanwhile, Old Daoist Xiu Mu seemed somewhat enlightened. “Now I see why Fellow Daoist Fang was so confident; turns out he’s a body cultivator… Judging by that defense, he must be at the second stage of Body Tempering, right? No wonder he could slay an enemy in the fifth layer of Qi Refinement… And daring to scheme for control over spiritual land, truly hiding his true capabilities!”
Unperturbed by these observations, Fang Xi continued, dispatching each Lu Clan cultivator who dared face him, one sword strike at a time.
Amidst swirling peach blossoms, his Qinghe Sword became drenched in blood.
It was unclear how long the slaughter lasted until only the last cultivator remained, kneeling before Fang Xi in sheer terror. “We surrender, we willingly submit…”
Silently, Fang Xi wiped his blade clean on the clothing of a nearby corpse, then stood under a peach blossom tree, arms crossed, holding his sword.
As the sun set in the west, it seemed indifferent to all that unfolded below.
In the town of Peach Blossom Island, wisps of cooking smoke rose from mortal households.
Unbeknownst to the tens of thousands of ordinary inhabitants, their world had irrevocably changed at this very moment…
As night fell,
at the Lu Manor by Mirror Moon Lake, within the main hall.
A dense crowd knelt on the floor, facing a gruesome pyramid of severed heads piled before them.
The once lofty cultivators of the Lu Clan now wore expressions frozen in terror, captured at the moment of their demise.
The air reeked with a mixture of blood and decay, yet not a single person dared to flinch or frown.
Ruan Xingling sat regally in the head seat, surrounded by fine spirit wines and delicacies laid out before her.
Xiu Mu and his companions stood nearby, while Wei Yixin and his wife observed Fang Xi thoughtfully, their breaths slightly labored.
Hua Chanjuan repeatedly signaled with her eyes, but noticed her cultivation partner remained unresponsive, causing her some frustration.
She mustered a smile towards Fang Xi and cooed softly, “Fang Xiong… since we’ll be cultivating together on this island as neighbors, they say distant relatives cannot compare to close neighbors. My husband may not always find the right words; if he has caused any offense, please do not hold it against us!”
She discreetly nudged Wei Yixin’s foot, prompting him to finally step forward, fists cupped respectfully, albeit with stiffness in his tone, “Fang Xiong, my apologies…”
“Fellow Daoists, you jest too much. These were trivial matters, never bothering me in the slightest,” Fang Xi responded with a smile.
As long as they didn’t interfere with his tree planting, anything was negotiable; otherwise…
After exchanging smiles to bury their grievances, the old Daoist Xiu Mu leisurely spoke up, “Goddess Ruan…the inventory is complete.”
He glanced at the kneeling captives and chuckled lightly, “Twelve Initial Stage Qi Refinement cultivators from the Lu Clan were all eliminated. Among six guest seniors, three were killed, and the remaining three surrendered…”
As for the Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivators of the Lu Clan, they naturally stood with their patriarch, Lu Jingqing.
One was slain by Wei Yixin and his wife, while another nearly defeated Old Daoist Xiu Mu before realizing the dire situation and promptly fled.
The one Fang Xi killed was merely a hired guest senior.
“Additionally, the storeroom’s spirit stones and spirit rice remain largely intact… Especially noteworthy is that tier-2 ‘Spirit Peach Tree’ in the herb field. Thanks to Fellow Daoist Fang’s swift and decisive swordsmanship, it was not destroyed and remains unharmed,” added Xiu Mu, subtly praising Fang Xi.
“A Spirit Peach Tree?!” Ruan Xingling’s expression turned pensive, as if recalling something. “When…those Lu traitors turned against us, even my father couldn’t bear to destroy this tree…” Her gaze suddenly grew cold. “Have all the Lu Clan members been executed?”
“All cultivators have been eradicated, but regarding the mortals, we await your instructions, Goddess Ruan.” The old Daoist bowed deeply.
“Accidental deaths during battle are one thing,” Ruan Xingling continued coldly, “but indiscriminate slaughter of mortals after the conflict would tarnish our reputation and bring disgrace upon Wan Island Lake.”
“All surviving Lu Clan members must be confined for life!” she declared firmly.
“As you command!” The old Daoist bowed deeply, his demeanor unwavering. “There is yet another issue - several men from the Lu Clan married women of the Ruan Family, including some from the direct lineage…”
He clapped his hands, and a trembling woman emerged holding a baby. “This child’s father was an Initial Stage Qi Refinement cultivator from the Lu Clan, while his mother belonged to the Ruan Family’s mortal descendants. She died due to complications during childbirth. What should be done with him?”
“Confin…” Ruan Xingling began, her eyes somber, but gazing at the infant’s face, she fell silent.
After a long moment, she finally spoke, “Let it be… Send the child to be raised by mortals in the village… Does he have a name?”
“Not yet named. Please bestow one, O Goddess Ruan,” replied the old Daoist.
“Fellow Daoist Fang, what do you suggest?” Ruan Xingling turned to Fang Xi.
“After considering his circumstances, perhaps… we could call him ‘Lu Guo’,” Fang Xi suggested thoughtfully.
He couldn’t fully gauge Ruan Xingling’s intentions; giving the child the surname Ruan might imply leniency towards the Lu Clan.
“Excellent choice!”
Ruan Xingling then instructed the wet nurse to take Lu Guo away and swiftly proceeded to handle the surrender of rogue cultivators and mortals.
Finally, the hall emptied, leaving only Fang Xi and the others behind.
Standing up, Ruan Xingling said, “Having avenged my great hatred, it is all thanks to your assistance. Please accept my gratitude.”
“We couldn’t possibly!” Fang Xi and the group hastily declined her gesture.
“Rest assured, fellow Daoists, I will honor my previous oath without fail, and together we shall share this Peach Blossom Island!” Ruan Xingling’s gaze swept over the anxious faces of Wei Yixin and his wife, lingered on Daoist Xiu Mu with his slightly trembling sleeves, and finally settled on the expressionless face of Fang Xi before she smiled softly.
“Many thanks, Island Lord!”
Fang Xi solemnly bowed, acknowledging their host-guest relationship.
“Many thanks, Island Lord!” Wei Yixin and his wife echoed joyfully.
Hua Chanjuan glanced at Fang Xi, fearing that he might leverage his superior magical strength to claim her Twin Peaks territory. With a quick turn of thought, she proposed, “Goddess Ruan, considering our life-and-death bond, how about we swear brotherhood and sisterhood, becoming known as the ‘Peach Blossom Five Immortals’ or the ‘Five Righteous Peaches’? What do you think?”
“Cough…cough…”
The corner of Fang Xi’s mouth twitched, barely suppressing a laugh. What fucking ridiculous nicknames? If we formed some idol group with these names, it would undoubtedly flop.
This female cultivator truly had a knack for creative names!
“Inappropriate. Ruan Goddess is at Late Stage Qi Refinement and already an island lord!” Daoist Xiu Mu was the first to object. “Her esteemed status cannot be equated with ours.”
“Let’s drop this matter…”
Ruan Xingling seemed somewhat intrigued, but seeing Wei Yixin hastily apologizing and facing opposition from Daoist Xiu Mu and Fang Xi, she gracefully acquiesced.
After further conversation, each member returned to their respective rooms.
Inside a hastily cleaned large chamber, fragrant smoke wafted gently from a purple jade incense burner.
Fang Xi affixed a protective talisman on the door, sat cross-legged on a mulberry-yellow prayer cushion, and took out the bags of holding he acquired earlier.
Without even glancing at the others’ bags, he directly pulled out Kou Family’s second son’s pouch and began using his magical energy to forcefully erase its identifying mark.
Several hours later, the bag of holding burst open with a loud noise.
One particular item caught Fang Xi’s attention, causing his eyes to brighten involuntarily. “It’s actually here..”