Eternal Life by Daily Divination

”Father, save me!”

Xiahou Qian cried out in desperation, his expression one of utter agony.

This agony was not just physical, but mental, for today was supposed to be the most glorious day of his life.

If all had gone as planned.

He should have been seated in the place of honor, accepting the congratulations of the crowd, his name about to spread throughout the entire Southern Domain.

But now...

He was like a half-dead dog, covered in blood, kneeling before Li Chang’an. Where was the dignity of a Golden Core Master?

Seeing this, Xiahou Hong’s eyes looked ready to split, bloodshot as he roared furiously.

”Li Chang’an, release my son!”

”Alright.”

Li Chang’an’s tone was cold as he casually slapped down.

BOOM!

Xiahou Qian’s head instantly exploded into a mist of blood.

The thick, metallic scent of blood drifted out, staining all of Yellow Crane Mountain with a grim, scarlet hue.

And so Xiahou Qian, the Fake Pill Master, died on what should have been his most glorious day, in the place he thought was safest.

Li Chang’an gave a casual wave.

Xiahou Qian’s corpse flew back and fell with a heavy thud before Xiahou Hong.

”My son!”

Xiahou Hong let out a shrill, grief-stricken roar. His despair was so absolute that two streams of bloody tears streamed from his eyes.

Nearly mad with grief, his face twisted, he charged toward Li Chang’an.

”Li Chang’an, I’ll kill you!”

But just as he reached Li Chang’an, he was suppressed by a surge of Array Power. Just like Xiahou Qian before him, he was forced heavily to his knees.

He even knelt in the exact same spot.

”AHHH—”

Xiahou Hong’s face was a mask of insanity. With his hair disheveled, his eyes were completely stained red with bloody tears.

Like a maddened beast, he furiously pounded the ground, trying to stand and attack Li Chang’an.

But no matter what he did, it was useless.

Seeing his miserable state, the other Golden Core Masters present felt a chill creep into their hearts.

It was a rare sight indeed to see a lofty Golden Core expert, famous for centuries, forced into such a wretched state.

”Daoist Li, must you go this far?”

The Tier Three Spirit Doctor, Ye Sang, sighed, a look of compassion on his face.

He stepped forward, seemingly about to offer more words of persuasion.

But Li Chang’an simply waved his hand.

”Get lost!”

Ye Sang’s face filled with horror as an immense force sent him flying backward, landing heavily in the distance.

His face was ashen as he spat out a mouthful of blood. His chest was caved in; he had been beaten half to death!

The expressions of the others changed drastically. They all rushed forward to help him up.

”Daoist Ye, don’t try to persuade him anymore. This has nothing to do with you. You can’t throw your life away for Xiahou Hong.”

”Somehow, that Li Chang’an has taken control of Yellow Crane Mountain’s Grand Array. Don’t oppose him. Just pretend you haven’t seen anything!”

Hearing their pleas, Ye Sang let out a mournful sigh, shook his head slightly, and said no more. He retreated into the distance to begin Healing.

After that, no one else dared to speak up and intervene.

Across the entirety of Yellow Crane Mountain, everyone remained silent. Only Xiahou Hong’s shrill roars echoed through the hills.

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

One by one, the bones in his body shattered. His skin tore, inch by inch, until he was an unrecognizable mass of mangled flesh and blood—a man made of blood.

Amidst this endless agony, Xiahou Hong did not lose consciousness.

This was because Li Chang’an had dissolved a mind-clearing and spirit-focusing Elixir Pill and sent its medicinal power into his body, forcing him to feel everything with perfect clarity.

At that moment, countless emotions piled up in his heart: grief, rage, and despair... as well as regret.

Throughout his life, Xiahou Hong had relied on his strength and background to annihilate entire sects and clans at a whim. The number of people he had tortured to death was unknown.

His Immortal Path was paved with blood and corpses, filled with the miserable screams and wails of countless Low Tier Cultivators.

In his prime, he had never imagined that he too would meet such a fate.

Not only would he himself die, but his exceptionally talented descendants had already been killed before him.

Furthermore, without him, the Xiahou Clan was destined to be consumed by the flames of countless vengeful fires.

It was foreseeable that not long after his death, the entire Xiahou Clan would be slaughtered to the last person.

”No... no...”

Xiahou Hong, his face a mangled ruin of flesh and blood, let out a wretched wail.

’Is... is this heavenly retribution? But cultivation is the act of defying the heavens! Why would I suffer retribution...’

’There are countless demonic figures who have done far worse than I! Why... why haven’t they faced retribution...’

After a few more hoarse cries, Xiahou Hong completely exploded, turning into a shattered mass of blood and bone.

This renowned Fake Pill Master had met his end!

His death made the bloody stench on Yellow Crane Mountain even thicker.

The many Low Tier Cultivators of the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage turned pale with fear, all lowering their heads.

Although they had not made an enemy of Li Chang’an, they feared being purged along with the others.

「Meanwhile, deep beneath the ground.」

Dahuang shook the Venerable Soul Banner, capturing Xiahou Hong’s Soul.

Inside the Soul Banner,

Xiahou Hong saw not only the recently deceased Xiahou Qian, but also Xiahou Kun and Xiahou Yu, who had died long ago.

At that moment, he finally understood everything.

”It was you! Li Chang’an, this was all your doing!”

Xiahou Hong roared furiously inside the Soul Banner, his voice hoarse.

For all these years, it was as if an invisible hand had been moving in the shadows, reaping the lives of his descendants one by one.

In the past, he had suspected countless people, including Li Chang’an, but he had always quickly dismissed the thought.

It was simply because Li Chang’an had appeared so utterly mediocre.

He had always seemed too timid to do anything but hide on Changqing Mountain. From any angle, he didn’t look like someone who would ever take the initiative to attack.

But today, the many Souls within the Soul Banner made Xiahou Hong understand: the entire Southern Domain had underestimated Li Chang’an!

Regret flooded Xiahou Hong’s heart. He never should have offended Li Chang’an, never should have underestimated him. Otherwise, the four of them—he and his three sons—would not be having a reunion inside the Venerable Soul Banner.