Members of the Zhang Family cleaned up at an astonishing speed, but none dared to claim anything for themselves. They piled up the spoils obediently, forming towering mounds of loot.
The second ancestor of the Zhang Family hurried over to Chen Xia, ingratiatingly smiling, "This is the spoils we've cleaned up. Please take a look."
"Why should I bother counting these? I've already said they're yours, so go ahead and distribute them yourselves." Chen Xia waved his hand casually, showing disdain for the shabby items.
"As you command." The second ancestor of the Zhang Family quickly bowed and then returned to address the crowd.
"Our family head said these are rewards for us, everyone gets a share. Now, let's move the items back to the family and distribute them slowly!"
The thousands of members of the Zhang Family were excited and charged towards the spoils, carrying them back to their family.
Meanwhile, Chen Xia gestured for Zhang Feiyu to come over. Without waiting for Zhang Feiyu to speak, he lightly tapped his forehead with his finger, sending a refined small sword essence into his mind lake.
Zhang Feiyu's complexion turned rosy, feeling that his stagnant meridians had suddenly become much clearer, and even his spiritual energy began to tremble along with it.
Chen Xia stood with his hands behind his back, calmly stating, "You've defied the heavens and haven't been treated for a long time, leaving behind serious hidden illnesses. It's impossible to instantly recover, so I'm placing a flying sword essence into your mind lake as your secondary nascent soul, which can help you circulate spiritual energy and rebuild your foundation."
"Of course, this is troublesome and may take thousands of years. During this time, I will also think of other ways."
Zhang Feiyu's hands trembled, never expecting that as a useless person, he would have a chance to turn things around. Overwhelmed with excitement, he bowed to Chen Xia. "Thank you, Patriarch Chen, Feiyu is willing to go through fire and water for Patriarch Chen."
"Very well, you may rise." Chen Xia replied softly, his figure gradually receding.
At that moment, the sun was still hanging low in the sky, resembling dusk.
In the battle of the Zhang Family, over ten thousand cultivators perished, with not a single one returning alive to deliver a message.
All sects could see that something was amiss with this massacre. How could the nearly dying Zhang Family have killed tens of thousands of cultivators? Even if they had invited a cultivator at the Fifth Heaven of the Ascension Realm, it would be impossible to leave no survivors.
Was there a prearranged killing formation?
The sects behind the ten thousand cultivators were unwilling to accept this outcome and came to investigate, but they sensed no traces of a formation, only a faint sword intent, as if it had only existed for a moment.
This puzzled them even more, unable to understand why. Underneath their suspicions, they dared not act rashly or approach the Zhang Family.
Rumors began to spread outside, claiming that a cultivator at the Tenth Heaven of the Ascension Realm had emerged and slaughtered over ten thousand cultivators, absorbing their essence and blood.
This talk incited anger from other cultivators at the Tenth Heaven of the Ascension Realm.
"Don't speak without understanding. Do you know what it means to be at the Tenth Heaven of the Ascension Realm? It's a position held by powerful figures even in the upper echelons of the realm. How could they appear here?"
While the words were spoken, the reasoning behind it made sense.
But besides this, it seemed impossible to explain the fact that all ten thousand cultivators had perished.
All the doubts pointed towards the shattered Zhang Family, making people wonder if there truly was a top-tier powerhouse seated within the Zhang Family.
No one dared to investigate, so they could only remain at a standstill.
The Zhang Family was bustling with excitement, adorned with lanterns and decorations, creating a lively atmosphere.
Members of the Zhang Family were finally able to leave the main hall and move into the houses above the mountain gate. Lanterns hung high above, firecrackers echoed, and the celebration was in full swing.
Chen Xia sat in the main seat of the hall, idly playing with his fingers.
Zhang Feiyu stood by the window, watching the fireworks with delight, then turned to call out to Chen Xia.
"Chen Zuzu, would you like to come and see too?"
"Forget it, I'm past that age," Chen Xia shook his head, feeling that such festivities were for children. Having lived for over ten thousand years, he had seen it all and was no longer easily impressed.
"Oh, okay then. I just saw a firework spinning in the sky and wanted you to see it too," Zhang Feiyu's tone sounded a bit disappointed.
"Where is it?" Chen Xia stood beside him, tilting his head to look.
Could any man truly resist fireworks spinning in the sky?
Certainly not Chen Xia.
The Zhang Family's celebration lasted for seven days in total, then gradually calmed down, proceeding under the steady leadership of Zhang Family's second ancestor.
Chen Xia didn't understand, nor did he intend to intervene. He simply sat in the main seat of the hall, listening to reports from Zhang Family's second ancestor.
Two months later, another visitor arrived.
They appeared directly outside the main hall and were surrounded by Zhang Family cultivators.
"Who goes there?!" a Zhang Family cultivator demanded sternly, holding a magical weapon.
"I've come to see Chen Xia. We're old friends. Please inform him that Wang Yangzi is here," said the tall figure of Wang Yangzi at the door, smiling with packages in both hands, giving off the air of a gift bearer.
The gatekeeper Zhang Family cultivator certainly didn't know Wang Yangzi's status. Even if he did, he wouldn't necessarily think of the man before him as a quasi-saint. However, seeing his harmless appearance and claim of knowing the family head, he quickly went to inform.
"Family Head, there's a visitor outside. He says he's Wang Yangzi and wishes to visit you," the cultivator reported, kneeling.
Chen Xia, who had been dozing off with closed eyes, his spiritual awareness immersed in his inner world, and with Wang Yangzi concealing his own spiritual awareness, hadn't noticed him. He opened his eyes in confusion and said, "Let him in."
Zhang Family's second ancestor frowned even deeper upon hearing the name Wang Yangzi, clenching his fists, unwilling to believe.
Could this really be the quasi-saint?
Or perhaps it was just a case of mistaken identity?
Chen Xia shook his head, "It's nothing. That day, my temper wasn't great either. We both just ended up hurting each other."
Wang Yangzi fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward briskly, placing the packages from his hands beside Chen Xia and scratching his head.
"What did you bring?" Chen Xia asked first.
"Nothing much, just some pills," Wang Yangzi chuckled lightly, then sighed.
"After the Great Death Zone, I've been waiting for you to return, but I never expected it would be over three thousand years."
"What can we do? Just staying alive is already fortunate," sighed Chen Xia.
"Indeed, it's a stroke of luck for both of us," Wang Yangzi nodded in agreement.
In the midst of the former Great Death Zone, survival truly depended on luck; anyone could perish, but not everyone could endure.
The Great Sage, the quasi-emperor.
The vast Emperor, the Ancestor of Dao.
Chen Xia.
Surprisingly, among them, the weakest was the Great Sage.
The number of cultivators involved, the magnitude of the battles, surpassed the combined strength of the entire realm several times over.
Wang Yangzi, having experienced the battle in the Great Death Zone, felt only one thing deep within:
Panic.