302: It is your honor!

"Did you bring the items?" Teng Qianjue finally spoke, his voice bland.

Murong Feiyu took out a Storage Ring from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "This contains all of the Murong Family's final accumulations. Additionally, there are seventeen documents for spiritual fields, mineral veins, and commercial contracts. Please, Immortal Master, take a look."

At this moment, a Teng Family Elder stepped forward to accept it, probed it with his Divine Sense, and nodded at Teng Qianjue.

"The quantity roughly matches what we investigated."

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed in Teng Qianjue's eyes.

They actually brought it? Without even trying to bargain?

Immediately, his gaze turned to Murong Tingxue. The young girl was so frightened that she tightly gripped her brother's sleeve, appearing very nervous.

"Hahaha..."

Suddenly, Teng Qianjue burst into laughter, then abruptly asked: "Murong Feiyu, do you know why I wanted you to come?"

Murong Feiyu's body stiffened slightly: "This Junior does not know. Please, Immortal Master, enlighten me."

"You don't know?"

Teng Qianjue sneered and slowly stood up. The pressure of his Golden Core spread out like a physical substance, enveloping the entire great hall.

"No, you do know!"

As soon as he finished speaking, without any warning, Teng Qianjue's figure instantly vanished from the main seat, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of Murong Feiyu.

His withered palm was pressed onto the top of Murong Feiyu's head.

"Knowing full well that I wanted to confirm whether Murong Jingyang was truly dead, you still dared to come. What exactly are you plotting!"

Teng Qianjue's gaze was cold, and killing intent boiled in his eyes.

Murong Feiyu was not a stupid person; he knew that after losing a Golden Core True Person, the Murong Family no longer had any value to the Teng Family.

Yet in such a situation, they still dared to appear. How could this not make him suspicious!

Since that was the case, he would see for himself!

"Immortal Master!!"

Murong Feiyu's pupils constricted, his face filled with terror, looking as if he wanted to beg for mercy. However, in his heart, he was laughing loudly.

"The old scoundrel has finally taken the bait!"

"For the sake of the Honored One, what is death? Loyalty!"

Then, a terrifying Divine Sense forcefully surged into his Sea of Consciousness, sweeping through every corner like a violent storm, and his consciousness instantly disintegrated.

Teng Qianjue had actually directly cast the Soul Searching Technique!

"No... don't!!" Murong Tingxue, who was nearby, screamed at the sight. She wanted to rush forward to save him, but was easily restrained by a Teng Family Elder, unable to move.

Then, she watched helplessly as her brother's expression changed from terror to dullness, his eyes gradually losing focus, and saliva began to drool from the corners of his mouth.

The damage caused by the Soul Searching Technique to the Divine Soul was devastating; in minor cases, it led to memory loss and damaged intelligence, while in severe cases, it resulted in the Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, leaving the victim a living corpse.

Teng Qianjue, in his actions, had not considered the consequences at all.

Within Murong Feiyu's Sea of Consciousness, memory scenes flashed through Teng Qianjue's Sea of Consciousness like a revolving lantern.

Being introduced to the path of immortality by his father in childhood, his first fight with someone in his youth, the joy of entering Foundation Establishment in adulthood, the tragic battle to seize the "Golden Core Pill", the shock of his father's defeat after attaining Golden Core, the despair of the Family's daily decline, the struggle when contacting the Teng Family, and the collapse upon learning that his father's Soul Lamp had extinguished...

Every detail was extremely realistic, and every emotion was full and vivid.

The coherence of the memories was impeccable, with absolutely no issues.

Naturally, Teng Qianjue could not see anything wrong with the memories.

Murong Feiyu's memories had been personally tampered with by Ji Ruge. That involved the main soul of a Peak Third Tier Magic Treasure, which naturally could not be seen through by a mere Early Golden Core Stage cultivator like Teng Qianjue. Therefore, Murong Feiyu had allowed Teng Qianjue's Divine Sense to rampage through them.

Finally, Teng Qianjue focused his investigation on Murong Feiyu's recent memories.

He saw Murong Feiyu kneeling in the Family ancestral hall for an entire night, saw how the Life Soul Lamp representing Murong Jingyang grew dim bit by bit until it finally extinguished, and saw Murong Feiyu make the decision in despair to bring all their Family assets and his sister to seek refuge with the Teng Family.

"It's actually... all true!"

Teng Qianjue retracted his palm, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes, but it quickly returned to normal.

It seemed he really had overthought it. After all, no matter how indifferent Murong Jingyang was by nature, he wouldn't go so far as to use his own offspring as bait.

Teng Qianjue didn't even look at Murong Feiyu, who was slumped on the ground with hollow eyes and drool running from the corner of his mouth; he walked straight back to the main seat.

Clearly, after the devastation of the Soul Searching Technique, he had lost all his intelligence and had completely become a useless person.

"Brother!!!"

Murong Tingxue also let out a "heart-rending" cry at this moment, struggling desperately, but she was held down tightly.

When Teng Qianjue passed by Murong Tingxue, he waved his hand casually, as if brushing dust off his sleeve.

"Bang!"

The young girl's crying stopped abruptly.

How could a Qi Refining Cultivator withstand a casual strike from a Golden Core True Person? Murong Tingxue immediately turned into a blood mist and dissipated between heaven and earth.

Immediately after, Teng Qianjue pointed a finger at Murong Feiyu on the ground to finish him off.

A blood mist bloomed once more, and this eldest son of the Murong Family was thus annihilated.

The hall was deathly silent; several Teng Family Elders held their breath.

However, someone still mustered the courage to ask: "Old Ancestor, you just killed them like that? What about Murong Jingyang..."

"So what?" Teng Qianjue showed a look of disdain, his tone slightly relaxed, "The Murong Family is of no use anymore."

He was in a great mood now. Murong Jingyang was truly dead, which meant the greatest variable had disappeared.

Then next...

"The Hu Family!" he whispered to himself, a burning light igniting in his eyes, "It is time to close the net!"

"Clean this up!" Teng Qianjue sat back down on the main seat and said in a calm tone, "Summon all the Elders for a meeting."

"Yes!" everyone quickly replied.

...

"The fish has taken the bait."

Murong Jingyang sensed that the two jade talismans in his bosom had shattered.

These were the life talismans of Murong Feiyu and Murong Tingxue.

Regarding this, there was no ripple in his heart.

For the sake of the Honored One's great cause, a little sacrifice was unavoidable.

Moreover, to die for the Honored One was their honor.

"In this way, presumably Teng Qianjue won't be able to hold back much longer!"

"The fish has taken the bait!"

Deep within the Hu Family Territory, inside a remote great hall.

Murong Jingyang sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his body surrounded by a faint aura of desire. This was the phenomenon when the "Six Desires Heavenly Demon Art" was in operation, eerie and profound.

Suddenly, two faint cracking sounds came from his bosom.

Murong Jingyang opened his eyes abruptly and took out two jade talismans from his bosom.

He saw that the jade talismans were now shattered into several pieces, their spiritual light dim.

These were the Life Soul Talismans of Murong Feiyu and Murong Tingxue.

The talisman shatters, the person dies!

Murong Jingyang looked at the fragments in his palm with an expressionless face, then suddenly chuckled.

"The fish has taken the bait."

He closed his five fingers, and when he opened them again, the fragments had turned into powder, drifting away with the wind.

"For the sake of the Honored One's great cause, a little sacrifice is unavoidable." He whispered to himself, his eyes without a ripple, "And to be able to die for the Honored One, it is their honor!"