Chapter 632 355: Decapitation Tactic

The Xinghan Mountain Range, Cui Family headquarters.

Atop the main peak, wreathed in auspicious clouds and brimming with Spiritual Qi, stretched an endless expanse of jade towers and magnificent palaces. Everywhere one looked, there were intricately carved beams, painted rafters, and gracefully upturned eaves—a landscape worthy of immortals.

Wide roads were paved with single blocks of Spirit Jade, each roughly ten feet square, that shimmered with a captivating, radiant light.

The surrounding Spiritual Qi was drawn to the jade, gathering into a hazy, dreamlike mist that was utterly breathtaking.

'Using Rank Four Zircon Sand Crystal Jade just for paving... How extravagant.'

Ling Changqing mused to himself. For most Nascent Soul Cultivators, a Spirit Jade of this Rank Four High Grade was an excellent resource, something they would only use sparingly when constructing their core cave mansion.

Of course, given the Cui Family's immense wealth, using Rank Four resources for paving was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

Right now, with Gong Ling's help, he was completely invisible. Even a Refining Void expert wouldn't be able to see through his concealment, even if they were standing face-to-face.

Ling Changqing had already passed through more than a dozen sentry posts and defensive lines, both visible and hidden. The number of Cultivators on guard grew, as did their strength, the deeper he went.

However, none of that mattered to Ling Changqing. He had come with a specific purpose: to execute a decapitation strike against the Cui Family's leadership.

The Ling Family could certainly conquer the Cui Family in a frontal assault, but the cost in resources would be immense. That was why Ling Changqing had decided to handle this himself.

As long as he killed the Cui Family's key leaders and seized control of the Mountain Protection Array's core hub from within, the fall of this ten-thousand-year-old powerhouse would be a foregone conclusion. Even the Taiqing Divine Dynasty would be powerless to intervene.

As he moved, he occasionally saw small groups of Cui Family Cultivators pass by—men and women, old and young, all walking with hurried steps.

He passed an endless stretch of magnificent halls and pavilions, each with its own unique style. Ling Changqing quickened his pace, and a short while later, he arrived before a crystalline Cave Mansion that shimmered with a hazy, iridescent light.

Before departing, Qin Mengxuan, Liu Ying Ziyi, and the others had provided him with all the intelligence they had on the Cui Family. Combining their information with his own Secret Method of Celestial Secret Calculation, Ling Changqing already knew that this was the residence of the Patriarch, Cui Qianyou.

As expected, the front of the Cave Mansion was guarded by groups of Cultivators and large squads of Daoist Soldier Puppets. In the shadows, more than one Supreme Elder was likely keeping watch as well.

Since there was no active invasion, the defensive Array and its Restrictions at the entrance were not activated. Besides, with such a powerful guard force, it wasn't as if just anyone could force their way in to cause trouble.

Still invisible, Ling Changqing slipped inside without a sound, passing through one portal after another. The interior of the Cave Mansion was the very definition of extravagance, with beautiful Female Cultivators draped in sheer gauze visible everywhere.

A dozen or so paces ahead of him, a pair of stunning, voluptuous women in revealing attire glided past, carrying a tray of fine jade. Both were at the Nascent Soul Cultivation level.

'Nice figures. Too bad they're not virgins...'

Ling Changqing thought. He wasn't interested in another man's leftovers. He had his pick of top-quality 'resources' back home; there was no need to covet these.

He tailed the two Female Cultivators into a lavish and exquisite inner chamber. There, seated behind an Azure Jade Table, was the imposing Patriarch Cui Qianyou, dressed in formal robes and looking through a Jade Scroll.

Seated beside him were four old men with white hair and beards, all wearing Feather Cloaks. Their auras all indicated they were at the Late-stage Divinity Transformation realm.

The intelligence reports stated that Cui Qianyou's current Cultivation was at the Divinity Transformation Peak. However, due to a pampered life and having not personally fought in many years, his actual combat prowess was mediocre at best.

In a one-on-one fight, Ling Changqing wouldn't fear him. Of course, killing him alone would still be impossible; he'd need Xue Qingtan and the others to make a move.

The two stunning women approached, curtsied, and greeted him in soft, delicate voices.

Cui Qianyou lowered the Jade Scroll and answered with a detached grunt. The women placed the tray they carried on a nearby table. It held a pot of Top Grade Spirit Wine and several exquisite pastries.

After setting down the items, the women slowly backed out of the room and closed the doors behind them.

Ling Changqing paused for a moment. He decided against having the women in the Era Star Palace Grotto Heaven Blessed Land strike immediately, opting instead to see how things played out.

"...Longchuan City... it fell, just like that?"

Cui Qianyou asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His voice was thick with a weariness he couldn't hide.

Core Elder Cui Zhenxiong cupped his hands and replied in a low voice,

"It is so. The Ling Family's assault force was simply too powerful. We couldn't stop them. Elder Huan and the others did all they could."

Longchuan City was a renowned and strategic city within the Cui Family's domain. It had abundant Spiritual Qi, a wealth of various resources, and its Marketplace was a gathering place for numerous large merchant associations and High-Grade Loose Cultivators, making it an exceptionally bustling hub.

With multiple Grade Five Spirit Veins converging there, Cave Mansion Blessed Lands were plentiful. It also boasted vast numbers of High-Grade Spirit Fields and Medicinal Gardens, as well as orchards and ranches, all of which generated a massive amount of income for the family each year.

For this reason, the Cui Family had stationed several Divinity Transformation Elders there permanently, in addition to a large number of Nascent Soul Cultivators. Their forces were undeniably powerful.

Yet, even a strategic stronghold like this could not withstand the siege from the Ling Family's legion of Female Cultivators. It fell after less than three days of resistance, and a vast swath of the surrounding territory went with it.

The current situation was extremely dire for the Cui Family. All of their significant vassal powers had been wiped out, and over thirty percent of their directly controlled territory had been devoured.

Barring a miracle, perhaps... the fate of this ten-thousand-year-old powerhouse was already sealed.

Cui Qianyou's brow furrowed, and he let out a low sigh. "So, is it time we start preparing for the family's funeral?"

"..."

The Elders remained silent.

In truth, ever since the Taiqing Divine Dynasty's reinforcements had been completely annihilated, they all understood that this outcome was inevitable. It was only a matter of when.