One more catty, one more attribute point

"Within the earthen fortress of the Hong Family, there's a secret chamber containing a hidden passage to the outside world, as well as the Hong Family's most core secrets and inheritance,"

The Elder known as Hong Tong,

had already been frightened out of his wits by the thunderous methods just now.

Without waiting for Su Heng to ask, Hong Tong shakily spilled everything he knew.

"That bastard Hong Jiuxiang claims he's visiting an old friend, but he must have already noticed something and secretly made preparations to run away! I'm more than ninety percent sure that he's in that secret chamber right now, wanting to take advantage of the chaos to escape!"

Hong Tong gritted his teeth and said.

They had been used as pawns without their knowledge.

Hong Tong was also filled with resentment, and now he had no psychological burden in betraying his own Family Head.

"Secret chamber?" Su Heng reached out and grabbed Hong Tong with one hand, lifting him like a dog, and he just coldly spat out two words, "Lead the way!"

Hong Tong originally wanted to take the opportunity to make demands, but when he caught a glimpse of Su Heng's expressionless face, the courage he had mustered up swiftly vanished into the gutter.

He landed on the ground, with a sycophant's obsequious expression, "This way, my lord..."

...

...

...

"Dad, why are you bringing me here?"

In a dark and deep corridor in the depths of the secret chamber, Hong Jiuxiang walked forward with large strides, his face expressionless, holding a torch in one hand.

Following closely behind was Hong Dingtian, with confusion etched on his face, "I was drinking with the brothers from the Song Family, and suddenly you called me out. My friends are probably talking behind my back now."

"They won't talk behind your back," Hong Jiuxiang stopped in his tracks, glanced at him, and answered coldly.

"You mean to say that I have a good eye for people, that the friends I make are all true gentlemen?" A smug smile appeared on Hong Dingtian's face, and his steps became a bit lighter.

Hong Dingtian valued loyalty above all else.

If someone else praised him directly, he might not have much of a response.

That's because from a very young age, he was so outstanding that he heard too many similar praises to count, and his ears almost grew calluses.

But if someone praised the friends he made, Hong Dingtian would truly feel delighted from the bottom of his heart.

Especially since this praise came from his usually serious father.

Unfortunately,

on this occasion, Hong Dingtian was clearly mistaken.

"Hmph!" Hong Jiuxiang let out a cold laugh, "Dead men, of course, won't talk behind others' backs."

"Father... What do you mean by that?" The smile on Hong Dingtian's face faded.

"We've lost this time."

"Lost?" Hong Dingtian asked in surprise, "Didn't we already kill Li Daoxuan?"

"But the Demon Suppression Bureau has more than just Li Daoxuan; there's an even stronger Su Heng." Recalling the content of the letters that came back, Hong Jiuxiang's heart trembled, "The Green Spirit and Barbarian Bull among the Demon Kings, as well as those two fools Ximen Xing and Zhou Batong, they're all dead."

"The other three are one thing, but the Green Spirit Demon King... even for me, it would not be easy to best her."

"What's more, the Green Spirit Demon King's talent is Wind Control, with wings growing on her back, yet she couldn't even escape from this man's clutches."

"This indicates that this man's strength has become overwhelming."

"To the extent that in the fight with the Green Spirit Demon King, she was killed before she could even react."

"I've been competing with Li Daoxuan for a hundred years, calculated everything, but never expected that at the last step, such an unpredictable factor would appear." Even someone as composed as Hong Jiuxiang couldn't help but sigh, for a moment looking ten years older, "It is what it is."

"Father, those are all your conjectures," Hong Dingtian comforted him, "Perhaps the Demon Suppression Bureau set some kind of trap."

"No matter what, one must always expect the worst," Hong Jiuxiang said, "This is the last lesson your father is teaching you."

He placed the torch on the stone wall beside him.

His hand searched before pushing forward.

Your journey continues with мѵʟ

Boom!

The stone doors at the end of the corridor rumbled and slowly fell, a gust of wind blowing in from the secret room.

Hong Dingtian was still processing the news his father had shared, the death of his blood brother Hong Wendao at the hands of Su Heng had made a deep impression. Yet, in the blink of an eye, in just a little over a month, to have grown to this extent, it was something he found hard to accept and even to comprehend.

"Haven't you always wanted to know what's hidden in this secret room?" Hong Jiuxiang's voice came again, "Now I'll tell you the answer."

Hong Dingtian followed step by step.

Inside the secret room.

There were no lamps or torches, yet it wasn't dark.

That's because a prismatic crystal laid upon a stone platform at the center, shining with a metallic sheen and emitting a dull red glow that dissipated the darkness and also noticeably raised the temperature around it.

Looking around, the small secret room was empty.

On a weapon rack in front were old weapons, secret techniques, and ancient, dusty armors.

Beneath the armors was a small box.

Hong Jiuxiang knelt on the ground, touched it gently, and opened the box.

Inside was a well-preserved booklet, its text and patterns all embroidered with special silk that wouldn't fade even over hundreds or thousands of years.

"This is..."

Su Heng took the booklet in his hand and skimmed through it with the help of the firelight, his brows deeply furrowed.

"It seems like this is a treasure map of a tomb, is it the tomb of an ancestor of the Hong Family?" Su Heng exclaimed.

The ancestor of the Hong Family, Hong Youquan.

He was a military leader who made contributions during the founding period of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

His titles were hereditary and the lineage had been passed down for a thousand years. Before the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Hong Youquan was already a powerful local magnate, a member of a prestigious family. Therefore, the history of the Hong Family could be traced even further back. However, the records related to this period had become vague over time.

"How could the things left by our ancestors be placed in their graves?" Hong Jiuxiang shook his head and explained, "The booklet records the tomb of the Eight-Armed Dragon King An Shelie!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this name, Su Heng's body shook violently.

His eyes widened in disbelief, and he almost dropped the booklet to the ground.

"The Eight-Armed Dragon King An Shelie! That peerless warrior who wielded dragon blood, and even repeatedly forced the Great Ancestor Zhou into dire straits, that invincible overlord!?" Su Heng was in shock, "How could the location of his tomb be recorded by our family?"

"Our ancestor of the Hong Family was one of the eighteen nominal sons of An Shelie."

Hong Jiuxiang said, "The battle at Jiulian City, it was he who led the troops to open the city gates and surrender the city, which allowed the Great Ancestor Zhou to establish the victory in one fell swoop."

"I see..." Su Heng slowly nodded his head.

Of course, this was not exactly an honorable story; no wonder even he had never heard of it.

"Since we have the location of An Shelie's tomb, why did our ancestors of the Hong Family not explore it, choosing instead to pass this secret booklet to me only now?" Su Heng was puzzled.

"Our ancestors of the Hong Family certainly did try to explore it, even for several hundred years in succession.

But ultimately, they all returned without success, and many lives were lost," Hong Jiuxiang explained, "Later, someone studied the nearby ley lines and speculated that the tomb was buried in the rift between the real world and the Immortal Heaven, and only when Immortal Heaven awakened to a certain degree could the tomb possibly re-emerge."

"Take this secret booklet and try to obtain the inheritance of Dragon King An Shelie. If you're confident enough, return and avenge me. If not, flee far away and live as a wandering hero; never return to Baihua County," Hong Jiuxiang sighed.

"I..." Su Heng had not expected this.

Just moments ago, he was drinking and eating with his brothers, and now he had reached a life-and-death farewell.

"You've done well," Hong Jiuxiang said with a smile as he patted his shoulder, "I never praised you in the past for fear you would become too proud. But if I don't say it now, I may never get another chance."

"Father, why don't you leave with me!?" Su Heng's eyes turned visibly red as he reached out and grabbed Hong Jiuxiang's arm.

"This is where everything I have is, I can't let go."

Hong Jiuxiang shook his head, his gaze landing on the dark red, rhomboid crystal in the center of the chamber, "And moreover, I want to see if I can kill him."

"Is that the thing the demon from Corpse Mountain gave you?"

Su Heng remembered that not long ago, a mysterious demon from Corpse Mountain had visited the Hong Family.

It was also because of the persuasion of that demon that the noble families and the Sky Demon Alliance managed to lower their guard to some extent and reach a cooperative agreement.

"Yes!" Hong Jiuxiang nodded, "Hurry and leave, stop dawdling. That person could arrive at any moment."

Boom!

Another secret passageway opened.

Su Heng carefully tucked the secret booklet into his chest and, holding back tears, turned and left.

"Su Heng... I really want to see what capabilities you possess." After watching Su Heng disappear, Hong Jiuxiang gripped the rhomboid crystal on the stone platform and pressed it against his chest.

He first closed his eyes, and then opened them.

Suddenly, the veins all over his body tensed, his fascia turned pitch black, his teeth clenched tightly, and his face twisted ferociously.

Hisss!

His arms forcefully pressed down.

The crystal burst into a blazing light in an instant, emitting thick smoke, and a hissing sound of flesh being scorched filled the air.

Hong Jiuxiang's eyes nearly popped, and with his mouth wide open, he let out a cry of agony that was unlike any human sound. At the same time, flame patterns covered his body and his aura, like an erupting volcano, surged tremendously, quickly reaching its peak.

...

...

...

Bang!

The blood-soaked chaos of the Hong Family stronghold.

Elder Zhao Zongwu, having regained his senses, knocked down the noble family elder in front of him with a punch from his left arm and brought the bronze mace down in his right hand like lightning.

With a splat!

The elder hadn't even managed to get up before his head burst open on the spot.

Blown to bits, blood and brains were splattered everywhere.

Having dealt with the last enemy.

Zhao Zongwu didn't move on to another battlefield but instead fixed his gaze on a withered locust tree.

The bright sunshine gradually twisted, and the atmosphere turned cold as well.

A pretty young girl in a red dress appeared under the tree. Her disheveled black hair fell down, and her delicate features showed a look of bewilderment.

"Old Master Zhao, I've detected a powerful presence quietly leaving the battlefield."

"Hmm?"

Zhao Zongwu's brows furrowed slightly, "Hong Jiuxiang?"

"No, not Hong Jiuxiang, he's a young man." Li Hongxiu's clear-cut eyes suddenly widened, "It's Su Heng!"