What was even more shocking was that the Fan family's old ancestor, Fan Peixi, was surrounded by nearly a hundred magical treasures with no weak spiritual energy.
...
"So rich?"
"Tsk, as expected of a master craftsman, so many magical treasures!"
Upon seeing this, Wu Tao's expression grew slightly more serious.
...
Centered around Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, the temperature within dozens of miles began to become oppressive, almost imperceptibly.
In a daze, it felt as if one was submerged in a sea of molten lava.
...
"No matter who you are, or why you have come today, you are destined to die."
A chilling voice echoed from above. Before the words even finished, the roar of dragons filled the Fan manor.
Innumerable fire dragons materialized and roared towards Wu Tao.
With Fan Peixi's Nascent Soul stage initial cultivation and the aid of the family protection array, each fire dragon unleashed was almost equivalent to the power of a Core Formation stage cultivator.
Dozens, even hundreds, of fire dragons might have been effective against other Nascent Soul stage cultivators, but they were not enough to deal with Wu Tao.
With a single sword strike, the cold glint of the sword light slashed across the eight directions!
Dozens, even hundreds, of fire dragons froze abruptly. The flames still burned, but cracks filled their bodies, spreading incessantly.
In the next second, these fire dragons, like fireworks after an explosion, vanished without lasting long.
"One sword breaks all methods, you are a sword cultivator!"
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, gritted his teeth as he spoke, each word seemingly squeezed from between his teeth.
...
"So what? What if not?"
Amidst the sky-filling flames, Wu Tao strode forward, sword qi swirling around him, utterly unfazed by the might of the inferno!
"You seek death, and I shall grant it."
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, roared, and the nearly hundred magical treasures behind him were unleashed towards Wu Tao in unison.
Wu Tao sneered at this, unleashing the Myriad Sword Immortal Diagram, which released countless immortal swords to retaliate.
The torrent of immortal swords clashed with the torrent of magical treasures, and for a time, neither side gained an advantage.
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, did not rage but instead smiled, his hands forming seals as he began to activate the true power of the family protection array.
The Fan family's protection array was truly named the Blazing Crimson Lotus Array!
Immediately, a crimson lotus tens of thousands of feet wide bloomed, resembling the subterranean fire from the earth's core. Its appearance was enough to burn everything.
The same crimson lotus, yet a different power, a difference as vast as heaven and earth.
"The essence is different!"
Wu Tao's expression tightened. His domain surged forth, piercing the sky.
Simultaneously, Wu Tao took a step forward, his spiritual energy distributing around him, clearly preparing for further action.
The Chuxi Sword, infused with the power of heaven and earth, was raised high above Wu Tao's head. The sword qi that emanated was world-dominating, instantly causing the winds and clouds to change and the heavens and earth to invert!
As if drawing upon the light of the sun and moon, the Chuxi Sword in Wu Tao's hands transformed into a hazy, resplendent, and mysterious five-colored sword qi.
"Sword Overwhelms the World!"
"What is this?"
"How can a mere early Nascent Soul stage cultivator possess such formidable combat power..."
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, was aghast, his heart struggling to maintain its composure.
At his level of cultivation, he possessed his own understanding of strength.
In that instant, he felt a palpable danger, a terror that his life was no longer his to control.
Although Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, had reached a combat power close to the mid-Nascent Soul stage with the aid of the Blazing Crimson Lotus Array, "close" was never truly "mid-Nascent Soul stage."
The Chuxi Sword, condensing the power of heaven and earth, pierced through the slowly closing crimson lotus tens of thousands of feet wide.
Concurrently, Wu Tao, wielding the Chuxi Sword, advanced towards Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family!
Under such circumstances, Fan Peixi gritted his teeth, his face contorted with madness.
"Boy, you forced my hand!"
...
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao's expression shifted. His nerves tensed instantly, and his body silently retreated.
He did not believe that this Fan family ancestor was bluffing, as he couldn't believe that a family with millions of years of history would only have such meager means.
Although Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, had displayed combat power close to the mid-Nascent Soul stage with the family protection array, the Blazing Crimson Lotus Array, it still did not align with the foundation of such a prominent family.
It now appeared that Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, still had tricks up his sleeve.
As soon as the words fell, Fan Peixi patted his storage bag, retrieving a copper token the color of fire bronze. He then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining the token red.
Everything happened in an instant, completed in the blink of an eye.
Wu Tao was too late to intervene.
However, knowing something was amiss, Wu Tao had already made defensive preparations, his vigilance never wavering.
Every move of Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, was within his sight.
A furious roar, utterly violent, erupted from the boundless flames, as if a demon god had emerged, shaking heaven and earth!
A colossal flaming giant suddenly appeared.
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, vanished, replaced by this terrifying flaming demon god.
Wu Tao's pupils constricted slightly as he watched this scene. The Chuxi Sword in his right hand trembled, as if sensing the awesomeness of the flaming demon god before him.
"Tsk, only now does the old ancestor Fan Peixi finally show the might of a pillar of a third-tier family."
"Hahaha... Boy, perish!"
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, couldn't help but laugh maniacally, his arrogance and triumph evident in his laughter.
...
The flaming demon god, formed from Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, swung its body, seemingly forged from flames of ten thousand degrees, and its two massive hands reached out towards Wu Tao.
Wu Tao sneered, and a sword cry echoed through the heavens.
Wu Tao unleashed the first-grade divine ability, Tribulation of Time. Time energy surged, and the Chuxi Sword, after fusing with the power of heaven and earth and the power of time, underwent a qualitative transformation.
In a mere instant, winds and clouds changed, and the world lost its color, turning black and white. Everything was instantly fixed in immobility.
The entire world fell silent for three seconds.
And within these three seconds, Wu Tao severed the arms of the flaming demon god that Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, had transformed into.
...
"What?"
"Damn it, how is this possible?"
A furious roar, utterly violent, erupted from the boundless flames, as if a demon god had emerged, shaking heaven and earth!
A colossal flaming giant suddenly appeared.
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, vanished, replaced by this terrifying flaming demon god.
Wu Tao's pupils constricted slightly as he watched this scene. The Chuxi Sword in his right hand trembled, as if sensing the awesomeness of the flaming demon god before him.
"Tsk, only now does the old ancestor Fan Peixi finally show the might of a pillar of a third-tier family."
"Hahaha... Boy, perish!"
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, couldn't help but laugh maniacally, his arrogance and triumph evident in his laughter.
...
The flaming demon god, formed from Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, swung its body, seemingly forged from flames of ten thousand degrees, and its two massive hands reached out towards Wu Tao.
Wu Tao sneered, and a sword cry echoed through the heavens.
Wu Tao unleashed the first-grade divine ability, Tribulation of Time. Time energy surged, and the Chuxi Sword, after fusing with the power of heaven and earth and the power of time, underwent a qualitative transformation.
In a mere instant, winds and clouds changed, and the world lost its color, turning black and white. Everything was instantly fixed in immobility.
The entire world fell silent for three seconds.
And within these three seconds, Wu Tao severed the arms of the flaming demon god that Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, had transformed into.
"What?"
"How is this possible? Damn it, this is impossible..."
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, muttered in disbelief.
"An array ultimately still requires a person to control it. Without human manipulation, no matter how powerful the array, it is merely an inanimate object."
Another force surged within Wu Tao's body. Buddhist power burned, unleashing several great Buddhist divine abilities!
"Bang bang bang bang!"
Under the conscious "shock" of several great Buddhist divine abilities, the connection between Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, and the Blazing Crimson Lotus Array was severed. The flaming demon god subsequently vanished.
Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, spat out a mouthful of blood.
His body seemed to be struck by an invisible force, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying backward.
Wu Tao showed no mercy, striking while the iron was hot. With a single sword strike, he severed the head of Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family.
It was likely that no one in the Fan family would have ever imagined that merely by coveting and forcibly taking the treasure of a Qi Refining stage cultivator, their entire clan would be annihilated!
Next, Wu Tao began searching the perimeter of the Fan manor for any remaining Fan family members, leaving no one alive. They were all killed.
Following this, Wu Tao began to scour the Fan manor.
Even the Fan family's accumulated treasury was pried open by Wu Tao.
Everything within was taken by Wu Tao in one go, not even a single spirit stone was left behind.
The storage bags of all the deceased Fan family members, including Fan Peixi, the old ancestor of the Fan family, were all stuffed into Wu Tao's own cosmic bag.
After resolving the karmic tie with Elder Madam Peng, Wu Tao brought over his four disciples: Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, and Nangong Xing.
Years had passed, and Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, and Nangong Xing had already cultivated to the early Foundation Establishment stage.
With no lingering worries and sufficient cultivation, Wu Tao began to establish his own force.
To build his own force, he needed his own territory. This Wei City, which had recently lost its master, was perfect.
However, it required careful planning, as it would undoubtedly provoke strong reactions from all the aristocratic families in Shujun.
It would be possible to backfire and suffer repercussions if the plans went awry.