Chapter 701: Treatment (I)

Deep within the secluded chamber, the floor was densely inscribed with intricate formation patterns. An aged man sat cross-legged at the heart of the formation, his skin pitch-black and already showing signs of demonization. A terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble emanated from him, while an astonishingly evil will brewed within his body.

"I will have to trouble you, fellow friend." Xu Chi bowed solemnly to Lin Zheyu.

The Xu Family had reached an extremely precarious state. The slightest misstep would not only result in their resources being completely divided among the major factions, but could even plunge the entire family into an irrecoverable disaster. Although the Xu Family's ancestor was still in deep slumber, Xu Chi had no other choice. The Xu Family could no longer afford to wait, so he could only force open the secluded chamber and awaken his grandfather.

"I will do what I can. Please open the protective formation," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

Xu Chi nodded gently and took out a formation disk. With a thought, more than a dozen azure threads shot from the disk and connected to the intricate formation patterns on the ground. Before long, the protective formation surrounding the Xu Family's ancestor opened, leaving only the innermost formation constructed from Divine Power Crystals still operating.

This formation was used to suppress the yao will within the old man's body and stabilize his condition. Under Xu Chi's expectant yet apprehensive eyes, Lin Zheyu slowly approached the old man. He moved at a measured pace, using his Heavenly Eye to observe the surrounding activity, formations, and any dangers that might be concealed nearby. Xu Chi did not urge him onward and merely followed silently behind.

Their footsteps echoed through the spacious secluded chamber as the two slowly approached the old man. Lin Zheyu surveyed the chamber with interest. The Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness shone with brilliant golden light as he examined the formation restrictions and offensive measures that might be hidden within the chamber.

"These formations within the Xu Family's ancestral grounds are all extraordinary. They do not resemble the work of a mere Nascent Soul realm family at all!" Lin Zheyu remarked in surprise.

After spending so long in the demon cave and continuously studying the advanced sealing formations outside the space-time nodes, Lin Zheyu had made astonishing progress in the Dao of formations. His discernment concerning formations had advanced even further.

In Lin Zheyu's judgment, the expert who had originally laid down the formations throughout the Xu Family's ancestral grounds possessed exceptionally sophisticated methods. These were certainly not formations that an ordinary Nascent Soul realm cultivator could have constructed.

From what Lin Zheyu knew, the Xu Family was an esteemed family specializing in the Dao of formations, but it had never produced a Deity Transformation realm expert. Its strongest members had only ever reached the Nascent Soul realm. Even when a formation had already been constructed, a weak cultivator would still be unable to unleash its full power.

Constructing one was even more difficult. In the Dao of formations, laying down a formation beyond one's realm was far harder than fighting above one's realm. The more intricate, sophisticated, and powerful a formation restriction was, the greater the demands it placed upon the cultivator's strength.

If the cultivator lacked sufficient strength, their perception, control over spirit power, soul strength, and other abilities would all fall short of the formation's requirements. The resulting formation would inevitably appear crude and lack refinement. The remarkably intricate and sophisticated formation techniques found throughout the Xu Family's ancestral grounds could not possibly have been the work of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

No wonder the Xu Family possesses a place at the Heavenly Derivation Sect's Formation Dao Exchange Gathering. They truly have some remarkable foundations, Lin Zheyu thought.

The two slowly continued forward. Lin Zheyu inspected all the formation restrictions hidden within the secluded chamber. Only after confirming that none of them posed a threat to him did he quicken his pace and approach the old man.

"Can you awaken this senior?" Lin Zheyu asked.

To alleviate the corrosion of the yao will within a cultivator, Lin Zheyu needed to control the golden energy and send it into the other party's sea of consciousness, where he could purge the yao will and demonic qi one by one.

Although Xu Chi's grandfather was in an extremely poor condition, he was still a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. A starving camel was still larger than a horse, and a Nascent Soul realm cultivator's sea of consciousness was immensely powerful.

Without the old man's cooperation, Lin Zheyu could not infiltrate it unnoticed. After all, immortal cultivators primarily cultivated the soul. In terms of mastery over the soul, he was merely a schoolboy before them.

"Please wait a moment."

Xu Chi stepped forward. With a turn of his right hand, he produced a golden needle roughly twenty-five centimeters long under Lin Zheyu's curious gaze. Xu Chi exhaled softly and focused his mind. His eyes shifted slightly as he gripped the golden needle and drove it swiftly and precisely into the old man's brow.

Lin Zheyu saw powerful soul energy surge from Xu Chi's body. Using his own soul as a guide, Xu Chi channeled it through the golden needle dharma treasure and into the old man's body to forcibly awaken him.

A dozen or so breaths later, the old man's eyelids trembled slightly. A powerful and malevolent aura suddenly erupted from his body, spreading outward like a ripple.

The old man's sudden eruption sent Xu Chi flying backward and crashing heavily into the chamber wall. He climbed to his feet while panting, his face somewhat pale. Forcibly awakening the old man had taken an enormous toll on him.

"Grandfather, don't!" Xu Chi hurriedly shouted the moment he stood up.

However, it was already too late. The moment the old man awakened, he unleashed a deafening roar as demonic flames surged around him. His right arm underwent demonization in an instant, transforming into an enormous hand that slammed toward Lin Zheyu.

Boom!

A terrifying crash resounded as the enormous demonic hand struck the floor, yet astonishingly left only a shallow imprint.

"Damn it, the worst has happened. Grandfather really has lost control!"

Xu Chi's expression turned extremely grim. The last time he had forcibly awakened his grandfather, the Xu Family's ancestor had retained a shred of lucidity through sheer force of will. Xu Chi had quickly informed the old man of the Xu Family's current predicament, and the two had discussed how to respond. At the time, the old man had warned that he might lose control and embark on a killing spree if he were awakened again. Now, his warning had come true.

The old man threw back his head and roared. Just as he was about to move, an expressionless figure appeared above him. Lin Zheyu lightly pressed his right hand against the crown of the old man's head, sending a vast torrent of golden energy pouring into his body.

The old man's roar stopped abruptly. His pitch-black pupils gradually lightened, and a glimmer of clarity returned to his eyes, which had been filled with savage bloodlust. However, that glimmer of clarity flickered back and forth with the bloodlust and could not stabilize.

"Do not hesitate. Continue! If you cannot awaken him, even I will be powerless to help," Lin Zheyu said gravely.

Xu Chi's body trembled. Snapping back to his senses, his face lit up with delight. With no time to consider anything else, he hurried forward and once again grasped the golden needle embedded in the old man's brow, resuming the interrupted process.

Xu Chi had only awakened the surface layer of the old man's consciousness earlier and had failed to rouse him completely. Such a faint trace of lucidity could not withstand the yao will, so he had immediately lost control and succumbed to it. As Xu Chi continued, the savage bloodlust in the old man's eyes gradually receded, replaced by increasing clarity and reason.

"That is enough." A hoarse voice sounded as a gentle force lightly pushed the deathly pale Xu Chi away.

Xu Chi went limp and collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat from head to toe. Seeing that the old man had awakened and regained his reason, Lin Zheyu withdrew his hand, stepped back, and stood to one side.

The old man weakly raised his hands and cupped them toward Lin Zheyu in gratitude. "I am Xu Ruichen. Greetings, Fellow Xiao. It is all thanks to your aid that I was able to awaken this time. Otherwise, I might never have awakened and would have completely succumbed to the yao will."