Chapter 138: The Annihilation of the Mu Clan

Days of cultivation always pass quickly.

On this day, Qin Ming was inside his cave dwelling, refining a special type of pill—the second-tier intermediate-grade "Hundred Illusion Pill." Its primary ingredient was the second-tier peak-grade spiritual plant, the Mist Illusion Mushroom, complemented by over a dozen other rare spiritual materials. Once consumed, the Hundred Illusion Pill allows a cultivator to alter their appearance and physique into any form they desire. This effect lasts for approximately seven days and cannot be seen through by anyone below the Golden Core stage.

Qin Ming focused his mind, casting aside all distractions as he controlled the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame, refining the medicine with methodical precision. Half an hour later, a sweet, clear fragrance drifted from the Profound Jade Furnace. Qin Ming reached out and retrieved eight purple spiritual pills into his palm. He examined one of the pills, then, without hesitation, placed it in his mouth and swallowed it.

In an instant, his aura shifted completely, transforming him into a dark-skinned, bearded brute.

"Heh! Truly amazing. Su Yuqing really manages to get her hands on the most bizarre pill formulas."

Qin Ming had not ventured out in a long time. He intended to visit Tianhe Market himself to gauge the current situation in the Lingqi Archipelago. However, given the recent commotion caused by the mist illusion at Moon-Watching Lake, he decided to disguise himself to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

After leaving the cave, Qin Ming communicated mentally with his Silver-Winged Frost Bee. With a *whoosh*, a flash of silver light appeared as a frost bee emerged from the hive nestled in the Everlasting Vine. It then expanded to the size of a calf. The Silver-Winged Frost Bee flapped its wings and hovered before him. Qin Ming leaped onto its back.

"Let's go!"

*Swish!* A streak of silver light cut through the sky and vanished in an instant.

Seeing this, the Profound Water Crocodile sent a message to Qin Ming’s mind; it seemed it wanted to follow along as well.

"Stay here and guard the place properly. Don't go wandering off."

Qin Ming tossed it a Sin-Spirit Pill. The crocodile gulped it down, then shook its head and dove back into the bottom of the lake to digest the medicinal power.

Soon after, Qin Ming arrived over the Lingqi Archipelago on his silver bee and looked down. The islands that were once bustling and prosperous had been ravaged by the flames of war. Many families had been forced to abandon their ancestral homes to seek refuge elsewhere, and some islands had been more than half destroyed. Compared to these, only Qin Ming’s Moon-Watching Island remained unscathed.

Before long, Qin Ming—in the guise of the bearded man—arrived near Tianhe Market. He stowed the Silver-Winged Frost Bee in his spirit beast bag, suppressed his aura to the peak of the Qi Refining stage, and landed. The guards at the entrance of the market had increased in number and were strictly screening cultivators to prevent any suspicious individuals from slipping in. After being questioned, Qin Ming paid five spirit stones and entered. The "Truth-Seeing Mirror" held by the guards failed to penetrate his disguise.

Because the market offered a relative degree of safety compared to the outside, it remained crowded and lively, with the calls of various peddlers ringing out incessantly. Qin Ming casually found a tavern by the street, ordered a few small dishes, and began to drink. He frequented this place often; it was a gathering spot for all walks of life, and one could pick up many whispers and rumors here. He stayed for half the night and finally heard some useful news.

"Sigh... I wonder how long this war will drag on. It’s endless."

"The spirit stones in my pocket are almost gone."

"It's coming to an end soon. Let me share a piece of news with you all. I’m afraid the Zhao family is truly finished this time."

"Ah? Surely not?"

"Did the Loose Alliance buy another third-tier Barrier-Breaking Talisman?"

"No! I heard from someone within the Loose Alliance that their leadership recently recruited an incredibly powerful high-tier formation master. They are preparing to break the final barrier of the Thousand-Leaf Spiritual Island using a 'formation-breaking-formation' technique."

"Is that so? Do we know which grandmaster it is?"

"That can't be right. To break a third-tier formation, wouldn't that require a grandmaster capable of setting up a third-tier formation themselves? I’ve never heard of anyone like that in the Wei Kingdom’s cultivation world."

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard them say they are very confident this time."

Hearing this, Qin Ming frowned. It reminded him of someone with exceptionally high attainments in formations: the demonic tyrant, Lin Zixiao. Could the leadership of the Seventy-Two Island Loose Alliance be so desperate to crush the Zhao family that they would resort to colluding with the demonic path? He had known for some time that Lin Zixiao had been active in the Lingqi Archipelago and the Sea City. If he were the one breaking the formation, it was entirely possible.

"By the way, besides that, there is another shocking piece of news. I heard that two days ago, the Mu family of Qilian Mountain was wiped out."

"Not a single soul survived. Only a few clansmen who were away managed to escape. When it happened, not even a single distress signal was sent out. If someone hadn't gone to visit the Mu family yesterday, no one would have known they were all dead."

"I heard that even the late-stage Foundation Establishment Mu ancestor, Mu Chongzhou, has fallen. The scene was gruesome—hardly a single complete corpse could be found."

This massive revelation caused cultivators from nearby tables to crowd around. Originally, like Qin Ming, they had just been eavesdropping, but upon hearing about a total massacre, they could no longer sit still.

"Fellow Daoist, please, tell us more about this tragedy."

"This meal is on me."

"Are you just trying to alarm us? The Mu family is so strong, how could they be wiped out so easily?"

"Exactly. The Mu ancestor is incredibly powerful. Even after the loss of his son, the family still had two mid-stage and several early-stage Foundation Establishment experts. With such a lineup and the Mu family’s second-tier formation, if they were exterminated... just how powerful must the enemy be?"

"It’s the absolute truth! The Loose Alliance is already investigating. I expect news will come out in the next two days. Such a big event can't be hidden anyway."

At these words, all the cultivators present gasped, and a shadow of dread began to loom over them. Qin Ming’s heart also stirred. He had only intended to check the situation, but he had stumbled upon such unexpected developments. He knew that Mu Yuanshan had been finished off by his own hand, but who else held such deep hatred for the Mu family? Could it be Lin Zixiao’s group? He immediately dismissed the thought. Although Lin Zixiao had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage and was immensely powerful, based on what Qin Ming knew of him, he could not have wiped out the entire Mu family without a sound.

The situation in the Lingqi Archipelago had suddenly become treacherous.

*Forget it. I’d better go back to Moon-Watching Island. It’s getting too chaotic.*

Qin Ming had gathered some useful information, but these two pieces of news were truly too harrowing. He settled his bill and left the shop. Once outside the market, he released the Silver-Winged Frost Bee and flew back at full speed.

Back on the island, he reverted to his original appearance and summoned Wu Jiang. "Fellow Daoist Wu, if you have no other urgent matters, please do not leave the island for a while."

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Qin! Without your permission, I shall stay on the island. It’s just about time for the farm work in the spiritual fields anyway," Wu Jiang agreed quickly. He rarely saw Qin Ming look so grave; clearly, the situation outside was dire, and something major was about to happen.

Three days of peace passed. Qin Ming then received a voice-transmission talisman from Aunt Long of the Mirror Snow Pavilion. He read the information carefully.

"Guest Elder Qin, just a short while ago, the Seventy-Two Island Loose Alliance actually found a way to break the final third-tier formation of the Thousand-Leaf Spiritual Island. The final battle is about to begin."