Chapter 33
The young man wearing Zan Clan robes suddenly froze the moment Zan Yunxiao appeared before him.
Terror instantly filled his eyes.
Without hesitation.
Zan Yunxiao raised one hand.
Boom.
The demonic cultivator exploded on the spot before he could even utter a word.
No questioning. No warning. No mercy.
Because the system had already warned him clearly.
Demonic cultivators possessed countless strange escape methods.
The moment hesitation appeared, the enemy might already vanish.
So Zan Yunxiao killed immediately.
The nearby disciples instantly panicked.
“A-Ah!”
“Someone was killed!”
Several outer disciples stumbled backward in fear after witnessing the sudden death.
Some even failed to recognize Zan Yunxiao himself because the patriarch rarely appeared publicly nowadays.
The entire courtyard immediately became chaotic.
Zan Yunxiao slightly frowned, about to explain.
But before he could speak, another figure quickly arrived.
Shenyuu.
Her aura descended sharply as she landed within the courtyard.
The moment she saw Zan Yunxiao.
She immediately bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Patriarch.”
Then she glanced toward the exploded corpse and asked calmly,
“What happened here?”
Zan Yunxiao replied indifferently,
“This person was a demonic cultivator.”
“I killed him before he could escape.”
Shenyuu’s eyes slightly narrowed after hearing this.
Then she immediately turned toward the panicking disciples.
“You fools.”
“This is the Patriarch of the Zan Clan.”
“And that man was an infiltrator.”
The disciples instantly froze.
Patriarch?!
Several disciples immediately widened their eyes in disbelief while looking toward Zan Yunxiao.
Then one after another.
They hurriedly knelt respectfully.
“Greetings, Patriarch!”
Zan Yunxiao ignored the commotion completely.
Because at that exact moment
The system notification appeared.
[DING!]
[Congratulations Host for completing the mission.]
[Reward: 5 years of cultivation obtained.]
A small stream of cultivation entered his body.
Then another notification appeared.
[DING!]
[Mission Issued]
[Option 1: Kill the Demon King in the Northern Region
Reward: 100 years of cultivation
Option 2: Wipe out the remaining demonic cultivators in the capital of the Crimson Empire
Reward: Offensive Technique Sun Extinguishing Divine Finger]
Zan Yunxiao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“…The capital?”
That immediately changed the situation.
If demonic cultivators had already infiltrated the imperial capital.
Then this was no longer an isolated problem.
Numerous possibilities flashed through his mind instantly.
Were they planning a massacre?
An invasion?
Or perhaps targeting the imperial family directly?
No matter the reason.
Allowing demonic cultivators to freely hide within the capital was dangerous.
Especially because the Crimson Empire was deeply tied to the Zan Clan now.
Without hesitation, Zan Yunxiao looked toward Shenyuu.
“Gather the core family members in the main hall immediately.”
Shenyuu straightened instantly.
“Yes, Patriarch.”
Then her figure vanished to carry out the order.
. . .
Inside the main hall of the Zan Clan, all the core members had gathered after receiving Shenyuu’s orders.
The atmosphere was unusually serious.
At the very center, Zan Yunxiao sat calmly on the patriarch seat while everyone else stood below respectfully.
Zan Wei was the first to speak.
“Father… what happened?”
Zan Yunxiao slowly explained everything.
First.
The demonic cultivator who infiltrated the Zan Clan.
Second.
The infestation within the imperial capital by the Demonic Cultivator.
The moment everyone heard this, their expressions immediately changed.
Especially Zan Moxuan and Zan Yin, since both still possessed deep connections to the capital.
Zan Yunxiao spoke calmly,
“The capital likely has multiple demonic cultivators hiding within it.”
“They may already be planning something.”
“Mass slaughter, infiltration, or even targeting the imperial family.”
“No matter the reason, they cannot be allowed to remain.”
The hall fell silent.
Then Zan Yunxiao looked toward Zan Wei.
“Send a message to Hong Se immediately.”
“Tell him to quietly investigate suspicious movements within the capital.”
“But warn him not to confront the demonic cultivators personally.”
Zan Yunxiao’s eyes turned slightly cold.
“The disciples of the Zan Family will handle this matter.”
Everyone immediately understood.
The Zan Clan was finally beginning to interfere directly with matters beyond the clan grounds.
Zan Wei bowed seriously.
“Yes, Father.”
After giving the orders, Zan Yunxiao dismissed the gathering and calmly returned toward his chamber.
Along the way, he already selected the system mission.
“Option 2.”
[Mission Accepted]
Inside his chamber.
The doors suddenly opened.
Xueyun and Jin Feixue rushed inside without even knocking.
Before Zan Yunxiao could react, Jin Feixue directly jumped forward and hugged him tightly while Xueyun wrapped herself around his arm.
“Husband~”
“You’re always cultivating lately,” Jin Feixue complained softly.
“We barely see you anymore,” Xueyun added while narrowing her eyes slightly.
Zan Yunxiao sighed helplessly.
Before he could even answer.
The two wives immediately started pulling at his robes impatiently like starving wolves finding prey.
Zan Yunxiao looked upward silently.
At this point.
Resistance was meaningless.
Thus.
The mighty Patriarch of the Zan Clan quietly accepted his fate.
. . .
Two months quietly passed.
Inside the chamber of the patriarch, Zan Yunxiao was peacefully resting for once when the familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang inside his mind.
[DING!]
[Congratulations Host for completing the mission.]
[Reward Obtained: Sun Extinguishing Divine Finger]
The moment the reward entered his mind, countless insights regarding the technique instantly appeared.
Zan Yunxiao slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Lying beside him were Xueyun and Jin Feixue, both still asleep while holding onto him tightly from each side.
Zan Yunxiao carefully moved their arms away before quietly sitting up.
“…Let’s see what this technique can do.”
The name alone sounded absurdly destructive.
Sun Extinguishing Divine Finger.
Even hearing it made the technique sound terrifying.
Moments later.
Zan Yunxiao’s figure disappeared from the chamber.
He reappeared behind the Zan Clan grounds near an isolated mountain region.
At first, he intended to casually test the technique there.
But after carefully sensing the violent spiritual fluctuations hidden within the technique.
He immediately changed his mind.
“If I use this here…”
“…half the clan grounds might disappear.”
Thus.
Only one suitable target entered his mind.
The white dragon.
Without hesitation, Zan Yunxiao activated Dimensional Travel.
. . .
Zinnia Planet.
Space distorted quietly.
Zan Yunxiao stepped out beneath the pale blue moons once more.
Even after visiting multiple times, the scenery of this primordial world still looked breathtaking.
The endless forests.
The ancient atmosphere.
The wild mana flowing through the skies.
But this time.
Zan Yunxiao did not come sightseeing.
He slowly spread his spiritual sense across the surrounding region.
And he intentionally released his aura slightly.
Provocation.
And just as expected.
Within only a minute.
A terrifying pressure descended from the skies.
Boom!!!
The clouds split apart.
The gigantic white dragon appeared once again.
The moment its icy eyes locked onto Zan Yunxiao.
Its expression instantly became furious.
Clearly.
It still remembered him.
Meanwhile, Zan Yunxiao did not waste time talking.
The moment the dragon appeared.
He raised one finger calmly toward the sky.
Golden spiritual energy instantly gathered at the fingertip.
The surrounding air began trembling violently.
Even mana in the atmosphere distorted unnaturally.
“Sun Extinguishing Divine Finger.”
A terrifying beam of condensed golden light erupted instantly.
The attack crossed the sky faster than lightning itself and struck directly against the white dragon’s body.
Boom!!!
The impact shook the heavens.
For the first time.
The dragon was actually pushed backward several meter.
And on one of its scales.
A small scratch appeared.
Very shallow.
But undeniably real.
Zan Yunxiao’s eyes instantly lit up.
“It worked.”
Meanwhile.
The white dragon froze briefly. And looked at the scratch on its scales.
Then a horrifying dragon roar exploded across the world.
The surrounding forests trembled violently.
Its mana surged explosively as true killing intent erupted from its body.
The dragon was genuinely enraged now.
But before it could retaliate.
Zan Yunxiao already activated Dimensional Travel.
Space distorted instantly.
He vanished.
Leaving only the furious white dragon roaring toward the empty sky.
Back inside the Zan Clan chamber.
Zan Yunxiao calmly reappeared beside the bed as if nothing happened.
Then he quietly sat down while thinking to himself.
“I’m pretty sure that dragon hates me to the bone.”