Chapter 124: The Hidden Vein Branch

Deep within the Flowing Spring Valley, the radiant glow of the spiritual spring had completely dimmed. Even under the moonlight, it showed no extraordinary brilliance, indistinguishable from an ordinary clear spring. In its place stood a spiritual peach tree, its gnarled branches and jade-like leaves suffused with a luminous aura, undeniably remarkable.

“What an overwhelming spell—this single glance has utterly ruined the spiritual spring, leaving no trace of its former essence.”

Extending his hand, Jiang Chen scooped up a handful of the spring water, carefully sensing its transformation. It had wholly reverted from a spiritual spring into mundane water, devoid of any divine mystery.

“With the spiritual spring gone, the hundred-acre spirit field nourished by it will soon return to ordinary land. The foundation of Flowing Spring Valley is completely destroyed.”

With this thought, Jiang Chen activated a secret technique.

In the next moment, the spiritual peach tree swayed, its radiance withdrawn, and once more transformed into a peachwood branch that fell into his palm.

“Now that I have the spiritual energy from this single glance of the spring, the construction of the training pool and cultivation sanctuary can proceed.”

Feeling the rich spiritual aura within the peachwood branch, Jiang Chen was quite satisfied.

“The power of the peachwood branch is too overwhelming; I must conceal it.”

Rising with corpse fire, Jiang Chen erased all traces and created a false impression of venting anger, preventing anyone from discerning the branch’s extraordinary nature.

After a brief moment, he took the last grain of spiritual rice from Flowing Spring Valley and left without lingering.

The following day, someone finally noticed something amiss with the spiritual spring array. Though the Flowing Bead Array guarded the valley, it had effectively turned it into a tomb. After the death of Gao Siling, a Qi-cultivator, no one remained capable of manipulating the array. It blocked all escape routes and even prevented any messages from being sent out.

“Not a single soul left—truly ruthless tactics.”

Arriving by flying boat and surveying the scene within the valley, the Gao family cultivators felt a chill run through them.

At this very moment, the morning sunlight bathed the valley in silence, not a single sound stirring. Just then, Gao Siyuan emerged from the flying boat. Originally planning a trip to Qinghe County, he changed course upon receiving news of the disaster in Flowing Spring Valley.

Upon seeing Gao Siyuan, the murmuring crowd of Gao family members instantly fell silent.

Soon, the flying boat landed, and the Gao cultivators entered the valley. Without the support of the spiritual spring, the Flowing Bead Array had lost all efficacy.

—

“Such pure and intense corpse energy.”

Deep within Flowing Spring Valley, Gao Siyuan activated his spell and detected a lingering trace of corpse energy.

“Could it be that my guess was wrong? The Corpse Daoist truly exists, not just someone masquerading?”

Holding the corpse energy, Gao Siyuan pondered its nature with a growing sense of doubt.

In Qingyuan Commandery—or indeed, throughout the southern four commanderies—there was no faction skilled in corpse refinement. Such pure corpse energy could not have been easily fabricated; the assailant must be highly proficient in the art of corpse refining.

Within Qingyuan Commandery, the Corpse Daoist was openly recognized as the most adept in this path.

Seeing Gao Siyuan lost in thought, the other Gao family cultivators dared not disturb him, though their hearts were far from calm. First Gao Sihui and Gao Sixing, and now Gao Siling—within such a short time, two Qi-cultivators from the Gao family had fallen. It was chilling to consider, especially given that the Gao family had only a handful of Qi-cultivators.

“Family head, the Flowing Bead Array has a secret gate. The enemy exploited this hidden entrance to slip into Flowing Spring Valley, causing the current catastrophe.”

After a while, a Qi-cultivator from the Gao family approached Gao Siyuan.

Upon careful inspection, he discovered the secret gate in the Flowing Bead Array and confirmed this was how Jiang Chen had infiltrated the valley with ease.

Hearing this, Gao Siyuan was not surprised. Had the array been flawless, Gao Siling would never have perished before reinforcements arrived. What puzzled him was how the enemy—or the Corpse Daoist—had discovered the secret gate.

“The secret gate in the Flowing Bead Array should have been left by the An family. But how would the Corpse Daoist know this? Did he capture some remnants of the An family and extract the information? Or does he himself have ties to the An family?”

His thoughts shifting, at this moment Gao Siyuan began to suspect the true identity of the Corpse Daoist.

“If the Corpse Daoist is indeed a remnant of the An family, many things become clear. Knowing the secret gate would be natural. Killing Sixing wasn’t merely for gain but driven by revenge, explaining his ruthless approach.”

Piecing together previous clues, a notion emerged in Gao Siyuan’s mind.

Many cultivation clans, especially those with long lineages, bore traditions of branching off hidden veins. Though the An family was not powerful, their long heritage made such hidden branches possible—and the Corpse Daoist might belong to one such branch.

“If the Corpse Daoist is from a hidden branch of the An family, then after the sudden downfall of the main An family lineage, naturally he would seek to reclaim Flowing Spring Valley and restore the An family. Discovering the Gao family had occupied the valley, he would come to despise them utterly. This makes sense.”

—

“The only illogical aspect is that the Corpse Daoist’s strength seems somewhat excessive.”

Lost in thought, Gao Siyuan furrowed his brow.

“Immediately summon the clan’s cultivators skilled in tracking arts. Have them carefully examine the traces within Flowing Spring Valley, capture any lingering aura, and begin the pursuit from this point.”

“The aura of corpse refinement is very distinctive and leaves clear traces. Also, issue strict orders—no cultivator should act alone; each team must include at least two Qi-cultivators.”

After a brief pause, Gao Siyuan gave his commands.

Hearing this, the Gao cultivators bowed in acknowledgment.

As news of the destruction of Flowing Spring Valley spread, the cultivation world of Qingyuan Commandery erupted in uproar. This was even more sensational than the fall of the An family and the breach of Flowing Spring Valley, as the Gao family—a leading clan—now occupied the valley.

For a time, all eyes turned toward the Gao family, and the name of the Corpse Daoist became widely known.

Having first slain Gao Siyuan’s younger brother, the Qi-cultivator Gao Sihui, and now slaughtering Flowing Spring Valley, his ruthless reputation was firmly established.

“The Corpse Daoist—ha! From now on, he is undoubtedly the foremost evil cultivator of Qingyuan Commandery.”

“This time, the Gao family is unlucky. Finding the Corpse Daoist is fortunate; if not, they’d never sleep peacefully again. Judging by his displayed power, ordinary early-stage Qi-cultivators stand no chance against him. Only those with minor attainments have a fighting chance.”

Voices rose in discussion—some shocked, others gleefully malicious. The Gao family had surged rapidly in recent years, but with their growth came many enemies. Yet, backed by the county governor’s office and their own strength, these adversaries had been powerless against them.

Now, witnessing the Gao family beset by calamity, many delighted in the spectacle. Some even considered approaching the Corpse Daoist, reasoning that the enemy of their enemy might be a friend.