Unparalleled Family Fortune

The Ji Country cultivators were deliberately provoking and seeking trouble, forcing the Jiang Country cultivators to engage them.

Meanwhile, Yan Yun witnessed Luo Lie activate the Tier 4 talisman in his hand.

“Demoness, what are you waiting for if not to concede now?
This item is a Tier 4 Fire Dragon Talisman, capable of instantly killing a Divine Mark Realm cultivator.
If you don’t wish to be obliterated, surrender immediately and withdraw from the match.” Luo Lie bellowed, his voice laced with a mixture of excitement and warning, lest anyone miss his triumphant declaration, even as he unleashed the talisman.

Yan Yun, for her part, possessed numerous ways to break free, yet she had consistently held back, as if anticipating something specific.

“Hahahaha!
A Fire Dragon Talisman?
To think a mere Tier 4 talisman is something you’d proudly display.
Since you Lieyang Gate cultivators are so intent on using ruthless tactics, then don’t blame me for reciprocating in kind.” Yan Yun retorted loudly, even as a talisman with far greater energy fluctuations materialized in her hand.

It was a blue talisman, a Tier 5 talisman corresponding to the power of the Divine Soul Realm.

The Fire Dragon Talisman had already been activated, and a fire dragon, coalesced from searing flames, roared forth from the spell.

The might of this construct was truly formidable; the sheer pressure generated by its energy forced the disciples of Purple Abyss Pavilion and Tingyu Pavilion in the distance to retreat repeatedly.

It was fortunate they hadn’t stubbornly remained near Yan Yun, for such power was far beyond their capacity to resist.

“Demoness, you brought this upon yourself.” Luo Lie exclaimed, his excitement palpable as this was his first time wielding such a potent treasure.

However, his triumphant smile quickly froze.

For at the very instant the fire dragon roared forth, the Tier 5 talisman in Yan Yun’s hand flared to life, unleashing an even more terrifying surge of energy that shot skyward.
The oppressive power instantly shattered the containment formation the five cultivators had painstakingly set up.

Simultaneously, the five cultivators were flung backward, and the fire dragon unleashed by the Tier 4 talisman was obliterated in an instant.

Such immense energy fluctuations startled the cultivators across all five arenas; this was the power of the Divine Soul Realm, a consumable treasure of such magnitude that even Ji Country’s arenas could not possibly possess.

These treasures were prohibitively expensive, designed for slaying formidable foes, not for mere competition.

“Interesting.
Is that the Tier 5 Profound Ice Phoenix Talisman?
Which family’s disciple is this, to wield such an extravagant treasure?” Even the powerhouses from Ji Country could not help but be taken aback.

With that display, Yan Yun firmly entered their notice.

“A wasteful woman, truly a wasteful woman!” several elders of the Yunhua Sect lamented, their hearts bleeding with anguish.

This pained them even more than if she had spent their own money.

They harbored no worries for Yan Yun, knowing full well that while she might lack in other areas, she certainly possessed an abundance of such treasures.

Their only concern was that Yan Yun might strike too ruthlessly and accidentally kill someone.

However, it was evident to everyone that the five cultivators from Lieyang Gate had clearly come with murderous intent.

Five Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators, specifically targeting a Cavern Heaven Realm cultivator, even employing a formation and a Tier 4 talisman – any discerning observer could easily grasp their true objective.

“Alliance Master Shangguan, quickly stop Yan Yun!” The Sect Master of Lieyang Gate cried out, utterly aghast.

Shangguan Jinyang understood that if Yan Yun’s talisman were allowed to unleash its full power, the five cultivators from Lieyang Gate would undoubtedly perish.

Yet, the actions of Lieyang Gate made it difficult for him to intervene directly.
If he were to speak up and stop her, wouldn’t he offend the Yunhua Sect?

“During a match, it is not my place to intervene.
They can choose to concede, or they can await the referee’s judgment,” Shangguan Jinyang stated indifferently.

However, the cultivators from Lieyang Gate had no opportunity to concede.

The immense power fluctuations from the Tier 5 talisman crushed them, rendering them unable to even breathe.

Even more terrifying, the energy unleashed by the talisman rapidly froze the ground, and ice began to form on the bodies of the five cultivators.

Once completely frozen, the five would surely die, and the Divine Venerable referee above was already poised to intervene.

What caught him by surprise, however, was that just as the ice crystals reached their necks, Yan Yun suddenly and slowly retracted the talisman’s power.

In doing so, she rendered the Divine Venerable referee in the sky unable to intervene.

“Hahahaha, truly worthy of the Divine Soul Realm’s power!
This kind of might is simply exhilarating.
Next time, I’ll have to find a Tier 6 talisman to play with,” Yan Yun declared excitedly, gazing at the Tier 5 talisman in her hand.

If anyone had overheard her words, they would surely have thought, “Is that something a human would say?
A Tier 6 talisman, ‘to play with’?”

This surge of power drew the attention of many Jiang Country cultivators, who dared only observe from a distance.
Upon witnessing Yan Yun possess even a Tier 5 talisman, they immediately put as much distance between themselves and her as possible.

‘It seems there are capable individuals among Jiang Country’s cultivators after all,’ one thought.
‘Such financial power, tsk tsk, truly terrifying.
I’d best look for other opponents.’

A Tier 5 talisman was enough to sweep through all participants of the Immortal Dao Assembly; it was inconceivable that anyone else could possess deeper reserves than Yan Yun.

Watching the five frozen cultivators, Yan Yun approached with a cheerful laugh.

“Heh heh, gentlemen, how are you faring?
How does it taste?” Yan Yun inquired, looking down at Luo Lie as she stood before him.

Luo Lie was currently sprawled on the ground, and with Yan Yun standing before him, it appeared as though he was kowtowing to her.

Luo Lie, utterly mortified, slowly raised his head to look at Yan Yun.

“A warrior may be killed, but never humiliated!
If you have the guts, kill us!” Luo Lie roared defiantly.

He had never imagined that the measures he had prepared would be so easily thwarted by Yan Yun.

“Kill you?
No, no, no, I mustn’t break the rules.
You are free to withdraw from the event,” Yan Yun reminded them.

No sooner had she spoken than the Lieyang Gate cultivators prepared to speak, but Yan Yun, swift as lightning, rapidly shot several poison needles that embedded themselves in their throats.

Their voices were momentarily silenced, effectively preventing them from actively withdrawing.

“Want to withdraw?
No chance.
Tell me, why did your Lieyang Gate want to kill me?
Tell me, and I’ll let you withdraw.
Otherwise, let me warn you: my poison cultivation technique is entirely under my control.
I can make you experience the most terrifying sensations in this world.”

Yan Yun crouched down, her expression chillingly sinister as she spoke to Luo Lie.

Luo Lie’s hair stood on end as he met Yan Yun’s violet eyes.

Yet, he would certainly not yield so easily.

“If you dare, try it!
With so many powerhouses from the Righteous Dao Alliance watching, do you truly dare to torture me in front of everyone?
Are you not afraid of being labeled a demonic heretic?” Luo Lie quickly retorted.

Yan Yun laughed, a genuinely joyful sound.

“Hahahaha, then allow me to give you a preliminary taste.
I guarantee you’ll remember it for a lifetime.
Oh, and a little reminder: if you can’t bear it later, just send me a divine sense message.”

Yan Yun stepped back, then raised her hand, from which a vast amount of red poisonous energy emanated, quickly enveloping the five cultivators.

At first, they seemed fine, but as the toxins permeated their bodies, tiny red spots began to erupt all over them.

An unbearable itch began to spread throughout their entire bodies.
Their forms were frozen, rendering them immobile, and their throats were silenced, yet their expressions remained free to contort.

Their faces transitioned from initial endurance to grotesque contortion in less than five seconds.

The itching originated from within, making them feel as if their internal organs were festering, compelling them to claw them out.

Their heads thrashed wildly, copious amounts of frothy liquid streamed from their mouths, snot ran freely from their noses, and tears incessantly seeped from their eyes.

Their expressions were a twisted mixture of laughter and tears.

“Mercy!
Mercy!
I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!” Ten seconds later, the five cultivators pleaded for their lives, one after another.

Only after they divulged the information she sought did Yan Yun extend her hand and withdraw the toxins from their bodies.

The moment the toxins were extracted, the five immediately collapsed from exhaustion and fell unconscious on the spot.

“Oh, why did you have to force my hand?
I knew you couldn’t possibly withstand it,” Yan Yun remarked with a look of contentment as she turned, then retrieved the blue ribbon tied to a tree before walking towards the Purple Abyss Pavilion disciples who had been observing from a distance.

The reactions of those five cultivators had been clearly witnessed, especially by the two young women from Tingyu Pavilion, who found it difficult to imagine the horrors those men had just endured.

“Apologies for the wait, it’s done.
Senior Sister, here’s the treasure you wanted.
Take it.” Yan Yun spoke as if she had merely completed an ordinary task.

However, in the eyes of the two young women from Tingyu Pavilion, this was nothing short of astonishing.

“Pavilion Master, did you just use the itching poison on them?” someone whispered, asking.

Yan Yun nodded.

“These individuals clearly came with the intent to kill me.
I naturally needed to understand why.
Since they wouldn’t speak, I had no choice but to employ certain methods.
They only lasted ten seconds before they couldn’t bear it any longer.”

A disciple of Purple Abyss Pavilion was filled with awe.

“If I were them, I guarantee I wouldn’t resist for even a second.
The last time you, Pavilion Master, had us try this itching poison, it’s still fresh in our memories.”

Yan Yun had them test virtually all the poisons she concocted, which had significantly increased the poison resistance of the Purple Abyss Pavilion disciples; thus, these poisons rarely had a particularly strong effect on them.

However, nothing was absolute; Yan Yun later created several peculiar poisons that even they couldn’t withstand.

“Let’s go.
They will surely regret provoking me.
Those five will undoubtedly take a detour whenever they see me from now on.”

Yan Yun led the group away.

After they departed, several cultivators who had been observing from a distance came forward to investigate the condition of the five Lieyang Gate cultivators.

‘These five are certainly not dead,’ one observed, ‘but their appearance is quite unsightly.
The red welts covering their bodies and their expressions, caught between ecstasy and agony, indicate they must have endured something truly dreadful.’

As for Yan Yun, her face was now clouded with a grim expression.

‘I never expected the Lieyang Gate’s Old Ancestor to also be a distant ancestor of the Lin family,’ Yan Yun muttered to herself.
‘No wonder Lieyang Gate went to such lengths to deal with me.
Things are becoming increasingly complicated, but before I leave Jiang Country, I absolutely must eradicate the Lin family.’

****

Meanwhile, Jiang Yao also encountered trouble.

She had been in the midst of cornering and slaying a peak Spirit Transformation Realm demonic beast with disciples from Yunhua Pavilion, but just as they were about to deliver the killing blow, a streak of sword light descended from the heavens, prematurely ending the beast’s life.

Immediately afterward, a token flew out from the demonic beast’s body, transforming into a streak of light that landed in the hand of a female cultivator clad in green.

This token represented a promotion slot, hidden within the demonic beast; thus, whoever killed the beast claimed the token.

“Who dares to snatch a slot from my Yunhua Sect?” a Great Perfection Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator from Yunhua Pavilion angrily glared skyward.

His gaze met that of a haughty swordswoman, who was looking down upon them from above.

“It is I. Do you have an objection?”