Burning the Yellow Sparrow

For a Foundation Building Elixir, a group of three Foundation Building cultivators led by Ma Sixian had lost their lives in the outskirts of Anling City, about 120 miles away.

The three of them had more than a hundred years worth of cultivation, but it all amounted to nothing on that fateful.

If they could turn back time, the three of them would not have chosen to attack the Lu Clan.

However, everything had been set in stone.

After the battle, Lu Mingchao did not hurry to clean up the battlefield. Instead, she came to Lu Chaoxi's side and cast the Water Nourishment Incantation.

The effects of the "Score of Water and Cloud" that she cultivated leaned toward control, support, and healing. In terms of actual combat, the destructive capabilities and the damage it could inflict were merely average. Her main form of attack was to conjure poison by converting her Cloud Fog Technique into a poison mist using the Cloud-Gathering Poison Conversion Cup.

Lu Chaoxi's condition became much better after receiving her treatment. The wound on his left shoulder also rapidly stopped bleeding.

He let out a long sigh. "Thank you, Ninth Sister."

"Why do you say such words?" Lu Mingchao shook her head. "How do you feel?"

"Not very good." Lu Chaoxi told her the truth. "Fortunately, you turned back quickly. The battle also ended quickly. Otherwise, I would not have been able to hold on."

The sea of fire that engulfed the area had some effect on him. He had managed to defend against it with the Jade Suppression Plate at the start. When his second Jade Suppression Plate shattered, he could only protect himself against the flames with his body and spiritual strength. He even had to control his flying sword and cast his Lightning Elemental Techniques…

Along with the spiritual strength he used to take on the Cleaving Flame Blade, the spiritual strength he had left in his body was less than 20% of his full capacity.

Lu Mingchao was not much better off. She had expended a great amount of spiritual strength when she was wrestling with Ma Sixian for control over the massive banner, as well as when she had activated the poison mist with her full power to corrode the other party. She was left with 30% of her battle capabilities.

"Search the storage bags of these three people. Let's return quickly. We should not stay here for too long."

"All right."

Lu Ranting also rushed back.

When Lu Mingchao had turned back to join the battle, she had informed Lu Ranting not to get too close. She was not much help as a ninth-tier Qi Refining cultivator. Instead, she might easily lose her life for nothing if she got too close.

It was a waste to die to an unknown enemy.

However, it was not much of a problem now. Even though the flames were still burning without the support of the unaffiliated Foundation Building cultivator, they no longer posed a threat to Lu Ranting.

Together with Lu Mingchao, Lu Ranting searched the corpses of the three Foundation Building cultivators who attacked them.

A battle between cultivators was unlike a fight between normal people. Cultivators, who specialized in assassination like the unaffiliated Foundation Building cultivator who wielded the pitch-black shortsword, were extremely rare.

The corpses of the cultivators who they fought with were spread out far away from one another.

However, at that moment, Lu Chaoxi and Lu Mingchao both looked up toward the direction of Anling City in the east.

Lu Ranting, who was beside Lu Mingchao, suddenly became cautious. "What happened?"

"Someone wants to be the yellow sparrow."

Sometime later, Lu Ranting also clearly saw a person approaching them from afar.

"Zhang Xican!" she said the person's name.

Lu Ranting knew both Zhang Xican and Ma Sixian, as well as the two unaffiliated cultivators who were not worthy of having names. After all, she had stayed in Anling City for over a year. Her main job was to scout for information. She could recognize all of the Foundation Building cultivators in the city.

Zhang Xican arrived at the battlefield on his flying sword.

Just now, in the city, Zhang Xican had decided that he would not join in this operation. However, when Ma Sixian and the rest of the group left Anling in pursuit of the Lu Clan, Zhang Xican did not manage to suppress the greed in his heart. He secretly followed behind them.

He had no intention of being a yellow sparrow at the start. All he wanted to do was come and observe the situation. Who knew? Maybe he could obtain some unexpected benefits.

In his eyes, the Lu Clan had its source of strength. It would be too dangerous if Lu Mingchao had a powerful amulet that was left behind by their great ancestor.

It was better for him to allow Ma Sixian and the other fools to be the vanguard.

Thus, he observed the battle from afar.

He had expected someone to ambush Ma Sixian and his group. The Lu Clan had a valuable treasure, the Foundation Building Elixir, in their hands. They would not be so foolish as to have made no preparations.

However, he did not expect the person lying in ambush to be Lu Chaoxi instead of Lu Chaohe. He knew that Ma Sixian and his group were in trouble when he realized that.

Ma Sixian and his group would have no problems dealing with Lu Mingchao and Lu Chaohe if there were no accidents.

But if there was Lu Chaoxi…

Lu Chaoxi have had some fame in the Anling Prefecture when he was still active 30 to 40 years ago. His yang-element Lightning Elemental Techniques had been exceptionally fierce in battle.

Zhang Xican did not see the siblings of the Lu Clan take out anything too powerful during the battle. They achieved victory through their battle prowess and the fact that they killed one member of the group by launching a surprise attack with the Yang-element Lightning Amulet.

Why did Lu Chaoxi, who was said to be severely injured and had not much longer to live, seem more powerful than he was in the past? Lu Mingchao was also more powerful than he expected.

When he saw them start to clean up the battlefield, Zhang Xican had an internal struggle.

He could see that Lu Chaoxi and Lu Mingchao were in bad shape. Furthermore, he was an eighth-tier Foundation Building cultivator and had more money than the members of the previous group. He wielded two Level Two high-grade magic equipment. He should not have a problem killing the two of them if he took action.

However, Lu Chaoxi and Lu Mingchao did not use any high-level amulets or other secret treasures when they were dealing with Ma Sixian and his group. Wouldn't he be the target of their attacks if the siblings of the Lu Clan still had something up their sleeves?

Zhang Xican saw that the members of the Lu Clan had already kept two storage bags and were about to leave. He could not suppress the greed in his heart.

Not only could he obtain an immensely valuable Foundation Building Elixir that could not be bought with money alone if he killed the siblings of the Lu Clan, but also he would obtain the storage bags of five Foundation Building cultivators. That meant that he would get many pieces of magic equipment that were Level Two or above. He might even receive some unexpected benefits.

He would be able to obtain such a large fortune if he killed the siblings of the Lu Clan who were already in bad condition…

That was too tempting.

The siblings of the Lu Clan had not produced anything too powerful even though the battle just now had been intense… Zhang Xican might be overthinking things. The Lu Clan had been down and out for a long time. They had also been continuously hit with calamities. Maybe they had finished using whatever they had in their reserves?

With that thought, he decided to show himself.

Lu Chaoxi and Lu Mingchao stopped whatever they were doing and got on their flying swords. They took to the skies.

The siblings looked at each other. Lu Chaoxi said, "Brother Zhang, we have not seen each other in 30 years, have we? Why have you shown yourself now?"

Zhang Xican did not speak. Instead, he slowly summoned a magic sword. The sword was jade green. It brought along a gust of wind every time it moved.

"The Jade Wind Clarity Sword… Brother Zhang, why don't you turn back now? I do not wish to kill you."

"Brother Lu, we have not seen each other for many years. I do not wish to do this too. It is just that my clan has many juniors who desperately need the Foundation Building Elixir. I am sorry for what happens today."

"Sigh…"

Lu Chaoxi sighed. At the side, Lu Mingchao had already produced a red-colored fire amulet in her hand.

Zhang Xican's expression drastically changed when he saw the fire amulet. He quickly summoned a jade tablet and flew away rapidly on his flying sword.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Activated by a spell mantra, a ball of ember suddenly appeared on the red amulet. At the same time, the technique had already locked onto Zhang Xican, who then spontaneously combusted in a ball of deep red fire.

His pathetic cries lasted less than three seconds. Zhang Xican, who was an eighth-tier Foundation Building cultivator, had been burned into nothing along with his Level Two mid-grade defensive magic equipment, the "White Clear Jade Tablet."