Chapter 1298 - 926: Fierce Showdown

"You have already sensed that the aura of the Book of Life and Death is within the Gong Family. Now, I invite all members of your Eight Great Clans to investigate together. If the Book of Life and Death is found within the Gong Family, we will not shelter the culprit. How about it?" The Gong Family Patriarch spoke.

His attitude displayed full sincerity, but to the Zhang Family people, it sounded like sheer confidence — confident enough that even if the Eight Great Clans searched together in the Gong Family, they wouldn’t find any clues about the Book of Life and Death.

The Patriarch of the Lei family said, "We previously saw with our own eyes that the aura of the Book of Life and Death came from the Zhang Family. Now, with the Eight Great Clans joining forces, we refuse to believe we can’t find it! Zhang Family brothers and sisters, our families are intertwined with shared interests; we only wish to mediate conflicts, not escalate them. How about the Eight Great Clans conduct a search first? Finding the Book of Life and Death would please us all, and if not, we can discuss further. The aura appeared in the Gong Family, but that doesn’t mean the Book is in their hands. If there’s someone trying to cause trouble or if the one inside the palace is scheming against us, it would be more painful for allies but delight enemies. We’re gathered here to find the Book of Life and Death. We’ll confine all Gong Family descendants in the yard and search thoroughly. The Book won’t escape from the Gong Family if we search diligently." The Lei Family Patriarch acted as a mediator.

No one among the Eight Great Clans wished to see internal conflicts arise and all were inclined towards mediation rather than provocation. Now that the range of the Book of Life and Death has been locked in, wouldn’t we fear finding it?

The rest of the six families gathered as well, speaking one after another. The Zhang Family Patriarch could only helplessly agree. A group of people entered the Gong Family to begin the search.

Zhang Chen walked through the Gong Family residence, his eyes showing difficulty: "These old fellows are truly cautious. I pushed matters to this point, yet they still haven’t started fighting? Looks like I need to add fuel to the fire!"

Zhang Chen held the Authority of Earth Element. The Gong Family had several secret chambers, surely unable to hide them from Zhang Chen. He directed the Fox Immortal Nannan to quietly use the Sealing Rune to subdue the aura of the Tree of Life branch and then transport it to a secret chamber within the Gong Family.

At some point, Zhang Gaoyue, the first among the younger generation of the Zhang Family, led a group of younger members and youths from other families to enter the Gong Family Patriarch’s room, turning it upside down. Although the Gong Family was displeased upon seeing this, they couldn’t stop it, and could only swallow their grievances.

Zhang Chen unobtrusively followed behind the crowd, his form suddenly flickering at some point, transforming into a young member of the Gong Family, unobtrusively accompanying the younger generation of the Eight Great Clans in their search.

Suddenly, Zhang Haoyue accidentally triggered a secret mechanism, revealing the chamber where the Fox Immortal Nannan was hiding the Tree of Life branch. The youths from several families saw this and their eyes immediately lit up: "There’s a secret room here, quickly follow me inside."

Zhang Gaoyue shouted, leading the younger members of the Zhang Family inside, and seeing the gold and silver treasures, various Spirit Medicines inside the secret room, they couldn’t take their eyes off, though beside them, the Gong Family youths were watching, forcing them to restrain from acting rashly.

Until, at a certain moment, Zhang Gaoling opened a box. The box contained a brilliant green aura illuminating the entire secret room. Everyone stopped their actions simultaneously, staring at it. The green light carried a fragrance of grass and trees, along with an indescribable vitality radiating outwards, astonishingly extending people’s lifespans.

"That’s the branch of the Tree of Life! Years ago, when the Divine Demon Tomb in the Northern Land was opened, I witnessed the Tree of Life in person. This is indeed a branch of the Tree of Life!"

"Wasn’t it said the Tree of Life Coffin was lost? How does the Gong Family have a branch of the Tree of Life?"

...

The group could no longer focus on searching for the Book of Life and Death, and all gathered around, staring intently at the branch inside the box.

After all, the Book of Life and Death belonged to the Zhang Family; finding it wouldn’t offer divisions of benefits. But the Tree of Life is currently known as the only Divine Object that can extend lifespans in the world!

Most crucially, the Tree of Life had disappeared. Why is it appearing in the Gong Family?

"They discovered the secret of the Tree of Life. Everyone come with me and take action — keep them all here! This is the Gong Family’s Tree of Life; they can’t be allowed to leak this news, or else my Gong Family will face great trouble." Zhang Chen, hidden in the corner, awaited this exact moment, drawing his long knife and without hesitation, slashing towards the youths of the other seven families.

Zhang Chen’s strike was ruthless and unforgiving, directly cleaving off Zhang Gaoling’s head. In an instant, blood splattered, and the arrogant youth Zhang Gaoling died tragically on the spot.

"My brother!" Seeing this, Zhang Gaoyue’s eyes immediately turned red: "We’ve discovered the Gong Family’s secret. The Gong Family stole the Tree of Life Coffin, and now that its trace is found by us, they’re trying to kill us to keep it quiet. Everyone, fight with me!"

As Zhang Chen’s ruthless strike brought chaos, the young members of the Eight Great Clans inexplicably got tangled into it, all starting to draw weapons and clash with each other, their eyes turning red with fury.

The disciples from the Gong Family were still bewildered when they saw other disciples from several families draw their long blades and aggressively charged towards them, so they immediately retaliated without showing any weakness.

A bloody massacre surrounding the Tree of Life mysteriously began without anyone knowing exactly when it started. The others heard the words ’eliminate witnesses’ and, seeing the blood-stained long knives, didn’t have time to investigate further, focusing instead on killing the enemies in front of them to survive.

Within the secret chamber, the slaughter continued. Zhang Gaoyue, covered in blood, grasped the branch of the Tree of Life. Under Zhang Chen’s intentional or unintentional ’escort’ and ’chase,’ he escaped the chamber and made it to the courtyard. His roar alarmed everyone from the Eight Great Clans in the courtyard: "Gong Family has stolen the Tree of Life Coffin from the Northern Land, and we discovered clues about it, so the Gong Family wants to eliminate witnesses!"

With that roar, Zhang Chen, who transformed into a member of the Gong Family, rushed in front of Zhang Gaoyue with a swift strike, chopping down with his long knife. The blood-stained Tree of Life fell to the ground.

"Junior, how dare you!" A Zhang Family master witnessing this couldn’t bear to detail the cause; seeing a Gong Family junior launch a vicious attack on Zhang Gaoyue, he charged in, knocking Zhang Chen’s long knife away, and then stabbed Zhang Chen in the heart.

"Haoyue, what happened? Why are people from the Gong Family chasing you?" The Zhang Family master quickly supported Zhang Gaoyue and asked.

"The Gong Family stole the Tree of Life Coffin, and we accidentally discovered the clue. They want to kill to silence us!" Zhang Gaoyue staggered forward and raised the Tree of Life in his hand.

"Kill them!"

The slaughter in the secret chamber spilled outside. As some people fled while others pursued, the news about the Tree of Life and the Gong Family’s attempt to eliminate witnesses spread widely. Meanwhile, Zhang Chen’s corpse on the ground disappeared at some point, and he began transforming into members of the Eight Great Clans, causing chaos and killing, leading to an all-out siege of the Gong Family.

The elderly of the Gong Family, seeing their family members being hunted, were displeased, starting to rescue them. However, with Zhang Chen’s meddling and sowing discord, after an elder died at Zhang Chen’s hands, both sides became blinded by anger, turning the Gong Family territory into a river of blood.

The Gong Family Patriarch was bewildered, not understanding why other clan members were slaughtering his family like madmen; wasn’t it just a search for the Book of Life and Death earlier?

Things escalated further under Zhang Chen’s intentional guidance, transforming the situation into a narrative that the seven families wanted to raid the Gong Family, even forcibly seizing Gong Family treasures. When an elder tried to prevent this, Zhang Chen killed him, making the situation increasingly unmanageable.

When Zhang Chen transformed into a Gong Family member, he slaughtered disciples from the seven families without giving them a chance to calm down, loudly shouting: ’The seven families want to raid the Gong Family; this is a conspiracy against the Gong Family. Don’t hold back, protect the Gong Family.’ Then, in Zhang Chen’s shouting, he slashed several members of the seven families, eventually being hacked to pieces by them, dying on the ground. This scene instantly provoked the Gong Family, hearing rumors of the seven families raiding their treasures and even killing their own brethren? Wouldn’t they defend their home and avenge?

No one bothered to ask for reasons; they directly leapt into action to assist.

When Zhang Chen transformed into a member from the seven families, he chased Gong Family members while shouting everywhere: ’The Gong Family stole the Tree of Life Coffin, and we uncovered their secret; they want to eliminate witnesses, everyone come help, suppress the Gong Family,’ stirring the entire Gong Family into chaos.

Zhang Chen even proactively transformed into a seven-family disciple, attacking the Gong Family’s patriarch and heirs, causing friction and deaths, ultimately leading to the death of Gong Family direct descendants. Before the Gong Family patriarch had time to ask questions, he was already caught up in the chaotic battle.

The leaders and elders from the seven families were trying to understand the situation, but Zhang Chen had already transformed into a Gong Family disciple, rallying a group of Gong Family members to attack Zhang Shenqi and others.

Although Zhang Shenqi and others sensed the oddity of the situation, at this point, the opponents were already advancing with blades drawn. Unable to wield their Bloodline Power and refusing to let themselves be slaughtered, they had no choice but to retaliate passively.

The slaughter was an endless cycle. A Gong Family elder, seeing Zhang Shenqi and others attacking Gong Family disciples, was enraged and without a word, joined the battle with his blade.

Things escalated into chaos, with everyone attacking each other, and no one cared about understanding the origin of the conflict; killing the opponent first was all that mattered.

Ultimately, being on their home turf, the Gong Family had too many people. With more Gong members continuously arriving to support, the seven families soon became overwhelmed, gradually falling into a passive state.