Chapter 1019: The Fury of the Yingshan Clan

“Blazing.”

The Yingshan Matriarch’s voice remained calm. “You’ve been far too lax in managing your Blazing City, allowing so many powerful figures to infiltrate.”

“I am incompetent,” the Blazing Marquis lowered his head in acknowledgment.

“And there was even a demon servant, Chao Qing!” The Yingshan Matriarch said coolly. “To be able to dispatch the demon Nian Jiu and even spare a demon servant as an assassin… the mastermind behind this must be of no ordinary status.”

The Blazing Marquis nodded obediently.

Though he was a marquis, he had never been extravagant enough to purchase a demon servant. Of course, he could afford a low-tier Chaos-level demon servant like Chao Qing, but since he was stationed long-term in Blazing City, he saw no need for such a luxury. It was simply too wasteful.

“Investigate,” the Yingshan Matriarch said coldly. “Leave no stone unturned. Fuchen, you shall stay in Blazing City with me for three days to assist in the investigation. Blazing’s subordinates are likely too weak in tracking and intelligence-gathering.”

“Very well,” the green-eyed elder, Fuchen Hou, replied with a smile.

The Yingshan Matriarch was one of the most ancient and powerful kings in the capital of the Southcloud Nation. Fuchen Hou had owed her a favor since his weaker days, and their relationship had only grown closer over time.

Dongbo Xueying and Yingshan Liehu, who had been seated in the carriage, had long since stood up.

“Little Snow Eagle,” the Yingshan Matriarch chuckled as she looked at Dongbo Xueying. “You’re holding a spear—what, planning to fight the enemy yourself?”

“Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying released his aura confidently. “I have already reached the fifth level of the Divine Palace. I believe I can hold my own against the enemy. I refuse to simply surrender without a fight.”

The Yingshan Matriarch’s eyes brightened instantly.

“You’ve reached the fifth layer of the Southcloud Sacred Body?” The Blazing Marquis’s avatar beside her was astonished.

“Remarkable. Only five million years, and Young Master Xueying has already attained the fifth level of the Divine Palace,” Fuchen Hou sighed in admiration. “Reaching the Unity Realm can rely on bloodline, but mastering the Twelve Forms of the Southcloud Sacred Body requires true comprehension. To achieve this in five million years—such talent is truly extraordinary.”

Though pleased, the Yingshan Matriarch still cautioned, “Don’t praise this little one too much. His bloodline is exceptional, and it just so happens to be the ‘Void Bloodline’ derived from the Nation Lord. Understanding the transformations of his bloodline makes cultivating the Twelve Forms of the Southcloud Sacred Body much easier. Reaching this level in five million years is merely decent.”

She feared Dongbo Xueying would grow too arrogant.

After all, he was the most talented member the Yingshan Clan had ever produced. If he became complacent, turning prideful and reckless, it would severely hinder his future progress.

“Little Snow Eagle,” the Yingshan Matriarch smiled. “Though you have the strength of the fifth level of the Divine Palace, both that demon servant and the old demon Nian Jiu possess power at the seventh level. Killing you would be as easy as flipping a hand for them.”

“I know, but I can’t just let them kill me without resistance,” Dongbo Xueying quickly replied. “Ancestor, now that I’ve reached this level of strength, shouldn’t I be allowed to go to the capital? To the main sect of the Southcloud Sacred Sect and learn the complete ‘Twelve Forms of the Southcloud Sacred Body’?”

“Hmm.”

The Yingshan Matriarch and the Blazing Marquis both nodded involuntarily.

“You must go, and as soon as possible,” the Blazing Marquis urged.

“The main sect of the Southcloud Sacred Sect is filled with experts. Training there will be far more beneficial for you,” the Yingshan Matriarch said. “You should stay there for an extended period. With your talent, I’ll call in some favors to ensure you become an official disciple of the Southcloud Sacred Sect.”

“Thank you, Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying said gratefully.

“Return and rest for now. In a few days, I will arrange your departure,” the Yingshan Matriarch said, waving her hand. A surge of power enveloped Dongbo Xueying, Yingshan Liehu, Tian Yizhi, and their guards and servants. With a boom—they were forcibly teleported back to the Blazing Marquis’s estate. Clearly, for someone of the Yingshan Matriarch’s power, short-range spatial teleportation was effortless without spatial suppression.

Of course, she was incapable of ultra-long-distance teleportation.

“Hmph.” The Yingshan Matriarch’s expression darkened. “Let’s see who’s truly behind this.”

A cold glint flickered in the Blazing Marquis’s eyes—he, too, was furious.

—

The entire Blazing City was in a state of high alert.

“Whoosh—whoosh—”

The Blazing Army mobilized almost entirely, squadrons flying through the skies above the city, scouring every corner for clues.

The Yingshan Matriarch left only an avatar behind, but with Fuchen Hou assisting her, they personally investigated any suspicious leads.

With her presence…

Even the other major power in Blazing City, Chunyu Weiyi, who controlled the Southcloud Sacred Hall, ordered his subordinates to return to their quarters and refrain from wandering outside.

“Speak.”

The plump Chunyu Feng knelt on the ground, sweat beading on his forehead.

The Blazing Marquis sat before him, surrounded by soldiers, his gaze icy as he stared at Chunyu Feng.

“Y-yes, I’ll tell you everything! But Marquis, this has nothing to do with me!” Chunyu Feng, the tower master, cried out. He had already sought help from his clan, but the clan’s response was clear—fully cooperate with the Yingshan Clan!

The Yingshan Matriarch’s wrath was not to be provoked!

Though the Chunyu Clan was one of the three great imperial families, they would never risk angering the Yingshan Matriarch over a minor figure like Chunyu Feng.

As a king, the Yingshan Matriarch could obliterate Chunyu Feng on a whim without facing any repercussions.

—

One by one, the hidden chains of the underworld were exposed. Scions of noble families were dragged out for interrogation. These descendants, with no hope of advancing further in cultivation, sought to amass more “resources” and inevitably dabbled in shady dealings. Now, they all suffered collateral damage from Qian Ganxiong’s schemes.

“Qian Ganxiong, it’s a good thing you died early—otherwise, I’d never let you off!” Chunyu Feng gnashed his teeth in his prison cell. Within just two days, he had endured relentless interrogations and even torture, including an illusionary trial conducted by the Yingshan Clan. Despite this, the Blazing Marquis still kept him imprisoned.

As a member of the Chunyu Clan, and one of relatively high status, he had barely managed to keep his life.

Under the Yingshan Clan’s sweeping investigation, any noble scion found to have aided in contacting the old demon Nian Jiu was executed without exception. Those involved in illicit trades, especially those suspected of being Qian Ganxiong’s underlings, were either imprisoned or put to death.

—

In three days, the noble scions of Blazing City had all grown far more subdued.

Against ordinary civilians, they could act with arrogance and impunity—killing commoners would only cost them a minor fine. But if the Yingshan Matriarch killed them, there would be no consequences whatsoever! Of course, the Yingshan Matriarch wouldn’t slaughter indiscriminately. The kings and marquises of the Southcloud Nation still adhered to certain unspoken rules.

—

“Hmph.”

In an ordinary mansion within Blazing City, deep within an underground meditation chamber…

The black-robed master of demons sat cross-legged. Given the vastness of Blazing City and its countless cultivators, it was impossible to investigate every household. The demon master’s avatar lurked within the city, never making contact with any of his subordinates.

“Panicking? Losing your mind?”

“Over a single failed assassination attempt?” The black-robed demon master’s lips curled slightly. “Blazing Marquis, you truly lack composure.”

He closed his eyes, sinking into deep meditation.

To him… this was merely a greeting to the Blazing Marquis.