295: There's a ghost in the house!

However, this balance was established on the premise that Murong Jingyang was only in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Once his intention to condense a Golden Core was exposed, the three families would, without exception, view the Murong Family as a major threat.

The Liu Family went without saying; how could one allow others to snore beside one's own bed? They would be the first to cause trouble.

As for the Hu Family and the Teng Family, they would never sit idly by and watch a pawn they had supported to annoy their opponents turn around and become the fourth person to divide the cake.

This was the tacit understanding among the three families: it didn't matter if they fought to the death normally, but once an outsider wanted to intervene, they would inevitably be targeted by all three families together!

"There is a ghost inside the Family!" Murong Jingyang closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

He had actually always concealed his Realm from the outside world, only revealing a Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation in his daily life.

And the news of his Breakthrough to the Golden Core was known only to a few close relatives and trusted confidants.

If not for the need to procure the Golden Core Pill this time, which required a massive amount of resources, the traces of moving the Family's treasury would not have been so obvious, revealing clues. Otherwise, how could this disaster have been brought upon them today?

But since things had reached this point, his regret was meaningless.

After all, the Murong Family had been established for too short a time, and its foundation was shallow.

To grow rapidly, they could only widely recruit Loose Cultivators as Guest Elders and take in sons-in-law to increase their numbers, so the Family Bloodline was no longer pure.

And it was completely normal for spies from other factions to be mixed in among these people.

However, Murong Jingyang had no heart to clear out the Family at this moment.

What he was more concerned about was the "Golden Core Pill" that Murong Feiyu had gone out to retrieve... the one that concerned his own Dao path.

"I don't know if this trip will be successful." He muttered to himself, a trace of anxiety flashing in his eyes.

The Golden Core Pill was too precious; it was enough to make any Foundation Establishment faction tear off their masks to fight for it, even those with a Golden Core.

That was why he hadn't gone out himself, fearing he would encounter "force majeure" factors.

"If it can be retrieved..." Murong Jingyang opened his eyes, a fierce look flashing through them and vanishing, "The current predicament will naturally be solved easily!"

At that time, what choice between two? He wouldn't choose either!

He wanted to jump out of this chessboard and become the chess player himself.

Once he achieved the Golden Core, even if the three families were displeased, they wouldn't dare to easily start a war.

At most, they would join forces to suppress him, but so what? In his life, had Murong Jingyang not experienced enough hardships!

Previously in the Southern Wilderness Region, he had been lured by thieves into a beast tide, which nearly caused the destruction of the Murong Family.

Now, what did this small problem count for!

However, thinking of this, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

Leaving the Southern Wilderness Region, this separation had lasted forty years, and now he was about to become a Golden Core...

Murong Jingyang was quite emotional.

Previously staying in a small place like the Southern Wilderness Region, his vision was too low.

He thought that by occupying a second-tier Spiritual Vein and owning a marketplace, he could be considered someone of standing in the Cultivation World.

But only after he came to this much broader Profound Spirit Domain did he realize that in the past, he was just a frog in a well, absolutely ridiculous!

"Hmm?"

Murong Jingyang was suddenly stunned, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Right, why didn't I think of this!"

The Teleportation Array!

The reason he was able to travel to the Profound Spirit Domain in the first place was entirely thanks to an ancient Immortal Cave he had found by chance on the outskirts of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, which had left behind a Teleportation Array.

A thought suddenly moved in Murong Jingyang's heart; if he could use that Formation to return to the Southern Wilderness Region, wouldn't it be a hundred times safer than breaking through in this place surrounded by wolves and tigers?

But immediately, he shook his head secretly.

The resources required to activate that long-distance Teleportation Array were massive; back then, it relied entirely on the half-piece of Top-Grade Spirit Stone remaining in the eye of the Formation.

But after that one teleportation, it had been completely consumed.

Now, in order to plan for the Golden Core Pill, he had already exhausted most of the Family's resources; where would he have the spare strength to activate the Teleportation Array!

"I can only gamble for a glimmer of survival here." Murong Jingyang gripped the armrest, pondering secretly in his heart.

Once he achieved the Golden Core, the first thing he would do was swallow up the surrounding factions and accumulate resources.

At that time, he would activate the Teleportation Array and return to the Southern Wilderness Region temporarily to avoid the limelight.

As for this Murong Family foundation in the Poison Marsh Ridge, and the descendants and clansmen raised and bred over these years...

"Hehe..."

Murong Jingyang sneered in his heart, his eyes indifferent.

Rebuilding the Family and spreading branches and leaves was just to have people he could drive.

After all, blood relatives always had a bit more natural bond and reliability than outsiders.

But this bond was also a shackle.

So if things were impossible to do, then abandoning them was just abandoning them.

As long as he achieved the status of a Golden Core True Person, the place where Murong Jingyang was would be the Murong Family!

Just as he was thinking this, his face suddenly sank.

Because the protective array of the Family had just transmitted a slight, imperceptible fluctuation; the Formation Restriction had been triggered!

Murong Jingyang's gaze was like lightning as he looked outside the ancestral hall, and he saw a group of people stumbling back, their state extremely miserable.

Especially Murong Feiyu, who was walking at the front; his originally white dharma robe was soaked in blood, his left arm was empty from the shoulder down, his face was as pale as paper, and his breath was extremely weak.

Several clansmen behind him were also all injured, supporting each other, with lingering terror in their eyes, obviously having just experienced a tragic battle.

Murong Jingyang frowned and stepped forward, appearing in front of everyone.

His gaze swept past quickly, but he did not linger on Murong Feiyu's severed arm for even a moment, but instead asked with a hint of anticipation.

"Did you bring the item back?"

Murong Feiyu lowered his eyelids upon hearing this, a gloomy look flashing and vanishing in his eyes.

"As expected, just as the Honored One said! Such a cold-natured person is not worthy of being my father, and only by converting to the Honored One with me is the final destination for you, Murong Jingyang!"

Murong Feiyu sneered in his heart, but when he raised his eyes again, his face was left with only submissiveness and fatigue.

"Father..."

Murong Feiyu forced himself to take a breath, broke free from the support of others, and knelt on one knee, his body swaying imperceptibly due to the severe pain.

He used his only remaining right hand to hold out a suet jade box from his arms, then held it high.

"I have not failed the mission!"

Murong Jingyang's gaze had not moved a single bit since the jade box appeared, and the burning heat in his eyes was almost undisguised.

"My child, you have worked hard!" Although Murong Jingyang said this, his movements were not slow at all, and he grabbed the jade box in one go.

Throughout the whole process, he never lowered his head to look at Murong Feiyu who was still kneeling in front of him.

Until he held the jade box firmly in his hands did he seem to suddenly remember to care. "Get up quickly, is your injury serious?"

"Thank you for your concern, Father, Feiyu can still hold on."

Murong Feiyu had already stood up on his own, lowered his head to hide the mocking look in his eyes, and replied in a low voice.

"Hmm, that's good." Murong Jingyang nodded, then his gaze fell back to the jade box, and he asked in a deep voice again: "On this return, is the path behind you clean? Are there any tails?"

"Father, rest assured!" Murong Feiyu's tone was calm and waveless, "Except for the clansmen, everyone who knew about it has been silenced forever."

Murong Jingyang was deeply convinced of this.

He glanced at the group of people who were almost soaked in blood and all injured.

If they hadn't experienced a Life and Death battle, how could they be injured like this?

"Good, good!" Murong Jingyang praised with a smile, "You all go to heal your injuries first, and the Family will have generous rewards afterward!"

Then, after giving a few more instructions, Murong Jingyang sent everyone away, then turned and left impatiently, his expression revealing a bit of uncontrollable eagerness.

His son was seriously injured, the elite of the Family was damaged, but all of this was far less important than the square jade box in his palm!

He dived into the quiet room, the heavy stone door slammed shut, cutting off all outside sounds.

Murong Jingyang sat cross-legged in the center of the Gathering Spirit Formation eye, but did not move immediately.

He first placed the jade box on the jade table in front of him, continuously forming finger seals to set up three layers of Restrictions to isolate prying and disturbances.

Immediately, the protective array of the Family was quietly activated by him with the Family Head token, the Formation power fully opened, and a stern, murderous Qi permeated every corner of the Family territory.

Only the outer illusion still maintained the calm and peace of the past; from the outside, the Murong Family appeared to have no abnormalities.

At the same time, an order was issued to the whole Family: from today on, no one is allowed to go out unless necessary, and violators will be treated as traitors to the Family.

He wanted to ensure that everything was normal during his retreat!