After the flames dissipated, only a few broken Magic Treasures and a storage ring remained on the sea.
"If this person hadn't already been severely wounded, I probably wouldn't have been able to kill him even by activating this Divine Ability!"
Qin Guiya, his face pale, retrieved his Magic Treasure.
His spiritual power was almost exhausted, and his Divine Soul was less than half remaining. He quickly popped a large number of Foundation Establishment Pills into his mouth, rapidly restoring his spiritual power.
Immediately after, he collected the spoils of war and found a jade plaque engraved with "Qin Family North Cliff Branch" among them—the token of Qin Guixiao's branch.
"North Cliff Island... the Main Branch and the branch's grievances..."
Qin Guiya muttered to himself.
Suddenly, his Divine Sense detected a streak of light approaching from afar. He quickly concealed his aura, feigning a severely wounded appearance.
The person who arrived was Qin Guihai.
His cousin, whose clothes were tattered and left arm missing, was both surprised and delighted to see Qin Guiya still alive:
"Guiya! You're still... Wait, where's that demonic Cultivator?"
"He was... killed by a passing Senior."
Qin Guiya coughed weakly twice, "I narrowly escaped with my life..."
Qin Guihai was half-convinced, but seeing the traces of a Nascent Soul-level battle remaining on the sea, he had no choice but to believe it.
He helped Qin Guiya up:
"Everyone else... has perished. We need to hurry back to Thousand Eye Island to report."
Qin Guiya nodded, taking one last look in the direction where Qin Guixiao had fallen.
Although he had narrowly won this battle, he had also exposed many of his trump cards.
More importantly, the conflict between the Main Branch and the branch seemed even deeper than he had imagined... In the Law Enforcement Hall on Thousand Eye Island.
Qin Guiya stood with his head bowed, calmly repeating the story he had agreed upon with Qin Guihai:
"...That passing Senior wore a red robe and should have been a Nascent Soul Great Perfection Cultivator. He extinguished the demonic Cultivator with a flick of his hand, then departed gracefully without leaving his name."
He did not reveal that the demonic Cultivator was from the Qin Family's branch, fearing he would be silenced. Perhaps not many in the Main Branch knew about it initially.
Qin Guiming, the Law Enforcement Hall deacon seated at the head—Qin Guixiao's younger brother—fell into deep thought.
"A red-robed Nascent Soul?"
He narrowed his eyes, "To be able to easily slay a dual-Nascent Soul demonic Cultivator, could it be a Grand Elder of the Red Cloud Sect?"
Qin Guiya's shoulders tensed imperceptibly.
He deliberately guided the other party to think of the Red Cloud Sect because the Cultivation Technique he cultivated was fire-attributed, similar to the Red Cloud Sect's Cultivation Techniques.
But if the other party investigated further...
"This Junior is inexperienced and dare not make rash judgments."
He lowered his head to hide the glint in his eyes,
"I only know that the Senior indeed used fire-elemental Divine Abilities."
Qin Guiming suddenly stood up, and the pressure of an Early Stage Nascent Soul bore down.
Qin Guiya's knees buckled, then he forcibly straightened them, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Look at me," Qin Guiming said coldly.
The moment their gazes met, Qin Guiya felt a wisp of Divine Sense attempting to invade his Sea of Consciousness.
He was slightly nervous, but at that moment, a trace of aura from the Ancient Tree Space acted as a cover, firmly protecting him.
A few breaths later, Qin Guiming frowned and withdrew his Divine Sense probe.
He did indeed sense traces of a fire-attributed Cultivation Technique within Qin Guiya's body, but there was nothing unusual.
"Enough."
Qin Guiming waved his sleeve and sat back down,
"You may withdraw. Remember, if you hear any news of that Senior, report it immediately."
"This Junior understands."
Walking out of the Law Enforcement Hall, the sea breeze blew against him, carrying a salty, damp scent.
Qin Guiya's back was already soaked with cold sweat, yet he showed no trace of it on his face.
He keenly noticed that several strands of Divine Sense were locking onto him from different angles.
"As expected, I'm being watched..."
He sneered inwardly, pretending to be oblivious as he activated his escape light, took a teleportation array, and then flew in the direction of Peach Forest Island.
Along the way, he deliberately took a large detour, stopping for a moment on a deserted island.
His Divine Sense swept out, confirming that the pursuers were staying ten li away. Only then did he extend a wisp of Divine Sense into the Ancient Tree Space, taking out Qin Guixiao's belongings from the storage ring for a careful examination.
The incomplete scroll of the "Bloodfiend Double Saint Art" was recorded on a blood-colored Jade Slip, cold to the touch, with faint wails of resentful spirits emanating from it.
Qin Guiya cautiously extended a w wisp of Divine Sense to investigate and was immediately pulled into a blood sea illusion.
Countless ferocious faces floated and sank in the blood waves, and in the center, two Nascent Soul phantoms sat opposite each other—one black, one red, their faces identical to Qin Guixiao's.
"Forge a second Nascent Soul with Evil Qi, the Clone is immortal, the main body is undying..."
A hoarse voice echoed in the illusion, "Bloodfiend as the guide, Souls as the fuel..."
Qin Guiya forcibly severed the Divine Sense connection, and the blood-colored Jade Slip fell to the ground in the space with a "thud."
The veins on his forehead bulged, and his temples throbbed.
This Cultivation Technique was too sinister; it actually required living Souls as nourishment.
But the concept of "dual Nascent Souls" within it was indeed ingenious.
If it could be achieved through a Righteous Path method, his path to Nascent Soul would likely be much smoother... He put the Jade Slip back into his storage ring and then checked the other items.
The Myriad Soul Blade was severely damaged, but the core material, "Bloodfiend Crystal," still remained.
The Black Fiend Banner, however, was completely scrapped, with only a few strands of thread containing pure Yin Qi still valuable.
The remaining two Magic Treasures were completely broken and beyond repair.
What surprised him most was Qin Guixiao's identity jade plaque—below the words "Qin Family North Cliff Branch," another line of smaller characters was engraved:
"The Main Branch is heartless, stealing my Spirit Body; this grudge must be avenged!"
"Spirit Body?" Qin Guiya's pupils contracted sharply.
Could it be that the North Cliff Branch also once produced a Spirit Body Cultivator, who was forcibly taken by the Main Branch?
Connecting this to Yue Xian's situation, he felt a chill to the bone.
At sunset, Qin Guiya finally returned to Peach Forest Island.
As soon as he stepped into his Immortal Cave, Liu Qingchan rushed into his arms, her delicate body trembling slightly.
"Husband, it's so good that you're alright!"
Her voice choked, "I heard several Golden Core Cultivators died in this mission..."
Qin Guiya gently stroked his wife's back, but his gaze met Lin Mushuang's.
The black-clad woman stood in the shadows, still maintaining her aloof demeanor, nodding almost imperceptibly.
"Where are the children?"
"Second Uncle took Yue Xian to the back mountain to Cultivate."
Lin Mushuang handed him a cup of Soul Nourishing Tea, "Yue Qi and Yue Lin are asleep."
Qin Guiya sipped his tea, listening to the two women recount the details of Qin Guiyuan's attack.
When he heard that Qin Faha had used a detection Formation Plate to confirm Yue Xian's Spirit Body, the teacup in his hand paused slightly.
"What was Second Uncle's reaction after he knew?"
Liu Qingchan wrung her fingers: "Second Uncle was very excited; he said... he said this was an opportunity for our branch to rise.
He has already sent people to guard the Immortal Cave day and night, and he himself has left a Clone nearby."
Qin Guiya walked to the window, looking towards the back mountain.
In the twilight, a faint green light could be seen flickering on the mountain peak.
That was the unique spiritual light of the Azure Wood Longevity Art.
Second Uncle Qin Faha's emphasis on Yue Xian was both protection and potentially a new variable.
"The Liu Family won't let this go easily."
He said in a deep voice, "But they wouldn't dare openly demand Yue Xian, as they are only an affiliated force of the Qin Family."
Lin Mushuang suddenly spoke: "What I'm worried about is the Main Branch. If the Liu Family informs the Main Branch that Yue Xian might be a Spirit Body..."
The unspoken words weighed heavily on the three of them.
The disparity between the Main Branch and the branch within the Qin Family was more brutal than outsiders imagined.
The fate of the North Cliff Branch a hundred years ago might very well be a cautionary tale for them.
"We still have time; the Liu Family probably hasn't confirmed Yue Xian's Spirit Body Aptitude..."
Qin Guiya said firmly.
