Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Screams of agony, wails of despair, intermittent and never ceasing, continued until daybreak.

"Creak," a sound echoed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Zhou Xutang pushed open the door.

Blood covered his hands and face, his complexion terrifyingly grim.

Chen Wen, or rather, Chen Li, was identified right from the start.

The reason for the intense overnight interrogation was mainly to force out the person behind them.

He absolutely didn’t believe that all of these affairs were the doings of a Qi Cultivation Loose Cultivator.

Perhaps Dongbo was killed by "Chen Wen."

But for a Qi Cultivator to instantaneously kill seven members of the Zhou Family a second time, that was certainly impossible.

Regrettably, until their death, he couldn’t extract anything useful.

The city lord, who had been guarding outside all night, saw Zhou Xutang emerge and promptly approached with respect, cupping his hands, "Zhou, is everything proceeding smoothly? The banquet is ready. After a night of bustling, why not grab a quick meal."

"The Zhou Family will remember this kindness, but there’s no need for a meal... By the way, one got away. City Lord Liu, please be on the lookout when the time comes." Zhou Xutang squeezed out a smile and said.

"Zhou, you’re too kind. This is merely a trivial effort for me." City Lord Liu’s face instantly beamed with joy, appreciating the favor from a Foundation Establishment family, which was well worth his considerable effort, "Rest assured, if he dares to show up, I will definitely help you find him."

"Then allow me to express my thanks in advance, City Lord Liu." Zhou Xutang said.

...

After bidding farewell to City Lord Liu, Zhou Xutang’s smile swiftly faded, his gaze turning icy, "Such audacity!"

This man named Chen Wen, he had actually seen at the birthday celebration of that immortal Yu Cheng.

He almost managed to escape.

"Could the person behind this be Yu Cheng?" He pondered thoughtfully, but soon dismissed the idea, "It should be impossible. Just an old pile of bones, ambition long gone... Forget it, let’s see who’s actually behind you."

He leapt into the air, soaring towards the clouds.

...

The signs of autumn were growing stronger.

Early in the morning, with the sky still dim, Chen Li pushed open the door.

A thick fog enveloped the outside, visibility was extremely low.

He walked into the yard and while loosening up his body, he checked the game panel.

[Realm: Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation: 72/100]

"I’m not far from the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation, I should break through before the end of this year," Chen Li thought to himself, "Next up, I should ponder over Foundation Establishment!"

He threw a powerful punch.

The air exploded with a "boom."

The fog churned violently.

"I wonder if I’ll smoothly overcome this barrier. According to Bai Jinwang, the chances of successful Foundation Establishment are pathetically small, nearly one in a hundred. If the breakthrough fails, at best vital energy is greatly depleted and lifespan reduced, at worst, it’s death... Alas, difficulty upon difficulty!"

Suddenly, the yard door was rapidly knocked upon with a "bang, bang, bang."

"Big brother, open the door quickly!"

It was Gu Mengqing’s voice.

Chen Li’s complexion changed.

He strode towards the door, opened it, and yanked Gu Mengqing inside.

"Why have you come back? Didn’t I tell you to go hide from the storm?"

Gu Mengqing was gasping for air, his face pale and haggard, his eyes bloodshot:

"Big brother, we were discovered by the Zhou Family’s ancestor, we must flee now or it’ll be too late, Zhao Lin and the others... I’m afraid they have already sold you out." Gu Mengqing whispered in panic and anxiety.

"What!?"

Upon hearing these words, Chen Li felt as if he had been struck by lightning!

The one thing he hoped would not come to pass had still occurred.

Although he had considered such a scenario more than once, its actual occurrence still caused his heart to pound furiously, even breathing became difficult. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself:

"Explain clearly, how were you discovered, and how did you escape?"

Gu Mengqing dared not hide anything and quickly relayed the whole incident.

"So the Zhou’s ancestor has not returned yet..." Chen Li paced back and forth a few steps, then stopped, "Find a place to hide yourself, don’t show your face, we’ll get in touch when this blows over."

"Yes, big brother," Gu Mengqing said.

With that, Chen Li quickly stepped towards the bedroom.

Zhou Hong had already woken up and was primping herself in front of a copper mirror. Chen Li pulled Zhou Hong to her feet, and as they walked, he spoke rapidly, "Go, hurry to the basement. The last incident has been exposed, and the Zhou Family’s ancestor will be here soon. Follow the tunnel and leave this place immediately."

Zhou Hong’s head spun, her face drained of color.

"You... what about you?" she asked, catching the implication in Chen Li’s words.

"The two of us running together would make too big a target and doom us both. You know I can change my appearance. If I want to leave, I can do so anytime. Wait for me on the second hill on the western side of Luanluo Mountain. Remember, the second hill," Chen Li instructed.

Zhou Hong’s heart was slightly eased, and she nodded vigorously, "Alright, I’ll remember."

"Don’t delay, leave now!"

...

Watching Zhou Hong disappear down the tunnel, Chen Li sealed the entrance to the basement with a stone slab and then blocked it again with the cabinet.

He leaned against the cabinet, closed his eyes, and rested for a moment.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

"What of Foundation Establishment!"

By now, he had completely calmed down.

Fleeing had never crossed his mind.

Ever since he provoked the Zhou Family, he had spent countless nights tossing and turning, calculating the feasibility of killing Zhou Xutang, and this time it had just come sooner than expected.

"Who lives and who dies is not yet decided!" Chen Li muttered to himself, a fierce glint in his eyes.

He donned Zhou Dongbo’s robe and took out a Second Order magic sword, gripping it in his hand.

Then he changed his appearance and swiftly walked out.

Gu Mengqing had long since left, leaving no trace behind.

The sky was still not bright outside, and the fog was thick.

His figure was swift like lightning as he strode towards the city gate.

Luoluo City had only one city gate, and the City Defense Array within the city had the ability to prevent flying; the only way in or out was through the gate.

The dense fog perfectly concealed his figure.