"I think Huo Jinchuan has truly gone mad. A perfectly good Young Master of the Huo Clan, yet he insists on forcing himself into a dead end. I really cannot understand how these so-called favored children of Heaven think."
Who wouldn't envy Huo Jinchuan's birth?
Even if his cultivation progress wasn't extraordinarily fast, it was still far beyond what most people could ever hope to achieve. On top of that, he had been groomed from an early age to succeed as the next Patriarch of the Huo Clan.
As long as he didn't make any major mistakes, his life could have been comfortable and untroubled. But now, he had blundered so badly that not even a god could save him.
Everyone sighed in pity, but word of this shocking incident spread quickly. It wouldn't be long before the entire Huo Clan would be thrown into chaos.
Events unfolded rapidly. The Huo Clan soon received the news.
Huo Yang, already exhausted from dealing with Huo Jinchuan's previous troubles, shot to his feet the moment he heard it. In the next instant, his figure vanished.
By the time the elders of the clan rushed in, Huo Yang was nowhere to be seen. Their faces darkened, and cold snorts filled the room.
"Huo Yang still thinks he can run from this? How long does he think he can hide?"
"Exactly. This matter with Huo Jinchuan is no longer just internal clan business. If it isn't handled properly, our Huo Clan's reputation will be ruined forever!"
"Yes, the clan's name, built over so many years, must not be destroyed in Huo Jinchuan's hands!"
"But Huo Yang has already left. We…"
"Huo Yang first concealed the fact that he revived the dead, which brought down Heavenly Punishment upon us. Then he allowed his son to steal clan treasures. And now Huo Jinchuan has abducted a cultivator… One crime after another, each enough to strip Huo Yang of the Patriarch's seat!"
"Agreed. And lately, our clan has been plagued by misfortune. I suspect it's Huo Yang's Luck dragging us down. If this continues, I fear disaster is inevitable."
At those words, the room fell silent.
Though they often had disputes among themselves, every elder knew the truth: if the clan fell, all of their descendants would suffer for it.
None of them could afford that risk.
A bold idea began to take root in their minds.
Meanwhile, Huo Yang was silently congratulating himself on reacting quickly. If the elders had come to pressure him in person, he would have had trouble holding his ground.
His plan was simple. Capture Huo Jinchuan himself, put on a show of grief and outrage, and perhaps he could still secure his position as Patriarch. But before he reached the cliff, he ran into several people who were also searching for Huo Jinchuan. All of them gave him strange looks.
Huo Yang frowned. His heart skipped a beat. Something about them felt… off.
Still, he told himself it was only natural. After all, his son had abducted someone. Such looks were to be expected. As he pondered, a familiar figure approached — eyes full of schadenfreude. It was an elder of the Murong Clan, an old rival of his.
"Well, well. Who would have thought the Patriarch of the Huo Clan's son would do such a thing? I hear he even abducted Murong Ling. This time, Patriarch Huo, you're in trouble. The entire Murong Clan won't let this slide!"
The elder's smile widened, his tone almost mocking. "But… if you're willing to beg me, I might just ask the clan to spare his life."
He clearly didn't care about Murong Ling's fate — just the perfect opportunity to strike at Huo Yang.
"Hmph! I don't need you to spare his life. I will take it myself!"
Beg for Huo Jinchuan's sake? Huo Yang wished the boy dead already.
Scowling, he leapt straight down toward the cliff's base.
"You—"
The Murong elder was stunned. Wasn't Huo Yang supposed to be deeply attached to his son? This didn't look like it.
Snorting coldly, the elder jumped down after him.
More and more people began descending into the depths. Song Wanníng's expression grew heavier. If not for Baili Shang having found a method, she wouldn't have dared to lure all these people here.
Now, her goal was to force Huo Jinchuan into a corner — one from which he would never rise again.
"When do we go down?" Baili Shang asked calmly. His aura had grown deeper and more restrained after studying and refining his formation techniques. The youthful arrogance in him was fading, replaced by the humility of someone who realized there was always a higher mountain.
"Not yet. The more people, the better." Song Wanníng's eyes were cold. "Huo Yang is already here. If enough people are around, perhaps we can drag him down with Huo Jinchuan."
As long as Huo Yang lived, they were never truly safe. But if Huo Yang personally killed Huo Jinchuan, the others would praise him for sacrificing family for justice.
That would never do. She had no intention of letting him walk away with such a noble reputation.
"Fine. When the time comes, call me."
Baili Shang buried himself once more in his studies, eyes bright with genuine passion for formations. Song Wanníng's lips curved faintly. Only such a genius was worthy of inheriting Senior Feng Jiuxiao's legacy.
An hour later, no new arrivals came. Song Wanníng decided it was time. Waiting too long risked Huo Jinchuan lashing out in desperation.
They descended into the depths.
The base of the Duantou Cliff was steep and sprawling, riddled with countless caves.
Those who had come earlier were already searching everywhere for Huo Jinchuan. Even now, no one had found a trace of him.
Huo Yang had brought a map, but the moment he crossed the cliff's edge, it stopped working. Now he could only search blindly.
"Useless trash!" he cursed. If he'd known this would happen, he would have killed Huo Jinchuan long ago.
After a few deep breaths, he forced down his fury and kept searching.
Huo Jinchuan, however, could no longer suppress the demonic energy within him. It swirled in his eyes, making his gaze strange and unsettling. He had thought to quietly build up his Luck before taking revenge on Song Wanníng and Huo Yang. Who could have guessed his actions would be exposed?
With so many people hunting him, it wouldn't be long before they found him.
"Fine. Since you've all come to me, I won't be polite."
A mad, desperate gleam shone in his eyes. If they wanted to offer themselves up as nourishment, he would gladly take their Luck — every last drop.
"Hahahaha—"
The beast that had been caged within his heart for centuries finally broke free, revealing his true nature.
"Come! Come! All of you, come to me!"