Chapter 51: Extracting Marrow and Deboning Li Qingqing; Two Destined Maidens Lay an Inextricable Trap (Major Chapter, Asking for Follow-ups, Subscriptions, and Votes)

The Divine Eyes?
The Qiongqi Bloodline?
Double Pupils?
Everyone present was utterly stunned upon hearing these names.

The Divine Eyes—rumored to be divine eyes born only from a top-tier bloodline, capable of shooting lightning from the gaze and seeing through all illusions, they were peerless divine eyes for combat and slaughter!
The Qiongqi Bloodline—needless to say, the Divine Eyes were the innate supernatural power born from this very Qiongqi Bloodline, and a Qiongqi Bloodline was bound to be a superior-tier bloodline, perhaps even a supreme-tier one!
And the Double Pupils were even more extraordinary. Those were the Double Pupils! Since ancient times, everyone born with Double Pupils was incomparably powerful, possessing a myriad of unimaginable abilities!

Yet, the Li family had actually bestowed such supreme treasures upon Li Qingqing!

Covetousness, envy, jealousy!
What if you are Li Qingqing, even if you possess the Primordial Yin physique, what is your Dao physique worth in the face of the Qiongqi Bloodline and the Double Pupils?!

The arriving guests were nearly driven mad with jealousy. They truly never imagined that the Li family possessed such supreme treasures, and had actually given them to Li Qingqing!
The crucial point was that Li Qingqing had actually chosen to leave the Li family! If she wasn't a colossal idiot, what was she?!

Listening to Li Xuan's words, Zhao Xin opened his eyes, glanced at Li Qingqing, and then closed them again. He understood his younger sister; it was true!
The Li family had genuinely given those supreme treasures to his sister!
And what had his sister done?

Exhausted and disappointed, Zhao Xin felt a profound, bottomless disappointment.

Li Qingqing took a step back.
[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel terror. You have gained 6,666 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by one year!]

"No, those belong to me! It is impossible for me to give them back to you, Li family!"
Li Qingqing turned around, immediately preparing to leave. She absolutely could not return the Qiongqi Bloodline, the Divine Eyes, and the Double Pupils.

The moment Li Qingqing's figure vanished, the next instant, she reappeared in the exact same spot, frozen and unable to move, facing Li Xuan.
A jolt of panic struck Li Qingqing's heart as she tried to mobilize her spiritual power. However, her spiritual power remained entirely deadlocked. Instantly, panic overwhelmed her; no matter how hard she struggled, neither her body nor her spiritual power would obey her will.

Li Qingqing's eyes split open with rage and terror.
No, not that!

[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel regret. You have gained 88,888 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by eight years.]
[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel dread and horror. You have gained 99,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by nine years!]

Regret and dread? No, Li Qingqing was simply terrified of losing the Qiongqi Bloodline and the Double Pupils.

Li Xuan smiled faintly. "What do you take my Li family for? A charitable hall? You come and go as you please?"
Li Xuan stood up and flicked a finger.

Li Qingqing's body trembled, terror filling her eyes as she screamed frantically in her heart: *No, stop!*
Those were her Divine Eyes, her Qiongqi Bloodline, her Double Pupils!

Zhao Xin opened his eyes, watching this scene with a flash of unbearable pity in his gaze.
A sharp blade materialized in Li Xuan's hand, but his gaze shifted to Zhao Xin instead. "Zhao Xin, your sister wishes to leave my Li family and even take our supreme treasures with her. How about you do the honors? Extract our Li family's supreme treasures and return them to us? Then, I will spare your sister's life."

Zhao Xin was taken aback.
[You have caused the Son of Destiny, Zhao Xin, to feel terror. You have gained 99,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by nine years.]

Let him do it? Shock surged through Zhao Xin, followed closely by a shiver of fear. How formidable the Li family's Patriarch truly was.
Zhao Xin smiled bitterly inwardly; the Li family Patriarch had undoubtedly caught that trace of lingering pity in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xin nodded. "Understood, Patriarch."

Li Xuan murmured an assent, flicking the blade in his hand over to Zhao Xin. "Follow me."
Li Xuan walked toward the back courtyard. Li Qingqing's body remained completely frozen, levitating in the air as she followed behind him.

Clutching the dagger, Zhao Xin felt a bitter irony so profound it ached. *Sigh, his sister had brought this completely upon herself!*
She had no one to blame,
No one else to fault!

Night Qingcheng wore a curious expression as she trotted behind Li Xuan.

Watching the Patriarch depart, Li战 (Li Zhan) quickly bowed from the waist. "Respectfully sending off the Patriarch."
The guests also hastily chimed in, "Respectfully sending off the Patriarch."

Li Xuan uttered a soft acknowledgment, his figure leading Li Qingqing and Zhao Xin into the inner courtyard.

After the Patriarch left, Li Zhan straightened up and turned to the guests. "Please forgive this unseemly display."
The guests hurriedly responded.

"Not at all, not at all."
"Indeed, Clan Head Li need not worry. Which clan doesn't have a few ungrateful traitors?"
"Quite right, quite right. The Li Patriarch remains as elegant and ethereal as ever. Just laying eyes upon the Patriarch brings a sense of peace to my heart; it must be the auspicious aura trailing him."
"..."

A torrent of fawning compliments was lavished upon them as if they cost nothing.

...

In the back courtyard, Li Xuan sat back in his reclining chair, gazing at Zhao Xin. "Begin."

Lowering his head in assent, Zhao Xin turned to his sister. Suspended in mid-air, Li Qingqing's eyes were wide with unadulterated terror.
Her body still refused to obey her commands. Consumed by dread, she gazed at Zhao Xin with pleading eyes.

Gripping the blade, Zhao Xin walked toward Li Qingqing.
"All you need to do is carve out the Double Pupils and the Divine Eyes," Li Xuan's voice drifted from behind.

Zhao Xin's body trembled slightly, a bitter smile touching his lips. Naturally, he saw the desperate pleading in Li Qingqing's eyes.
However...

"Don't blame me; if you must blame someone, blame yourself," Zhao Xin whispered to Li Qingqing, his wrist snapping upward.

Li Qingqing's eyes bulged as she felt the seal on her mouth lift, letting out a piercing shriek, "No, stop!"
With a flick of Zhao Xin's wrist, the razor-sharp blade plunged directly into Li Qingqing's eyes. His fingers danced, and amidst Li Qingqing's agonizing shrieks,
In no time at all, her Double Pupils were excised and placed gently onto a small jade plate.

The two crystal-clear Double Pupils radiated a brilliant luster, extraordinarily divine and brimming with terrifying power.
Li Qingqing's eyelids collapsed inward. Her Double Pupils—her Double Pupils were gone!

[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny to feel incomparable regret. You have gained 99,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by nine years.]

"No! Stop, I was wrong! I was wrong! I beg the Patriarch to spare my life! I beg the Patriarch to spare my life!"
Li Qingqing shrieked. Unable to help himself, Zhao Xin glanced at Li Xuan, only to find the Patriarch's expression completely impassive.

Drawing a deep breath, Zhao Xin steeled himself.
The next moment, Zhao Xin moved again, gouging the Divine Eye from the center of Li Qingqing's brow.

"No! No! Damn you, Zhao Xin! You deserve to die! No! My Double Pupils! My Divine Eye!"
Li Qingqing screamed and cursed frantically. Streams of blood gushed from her empty eye sockets.
The center of her brow bled similarly.
Her appearance was truly horrifying.

[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel intense pain and regret. You have gained 99,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by nine years.]

Deaf to her cries, Zhao Xin kept his wrist rock-steady. Having harvested all three eyes and placed them onto the plate, he laid the dagger aside, held the plate aloft, and dropped to his knees before Li Xuan. "Patriarch, Li Qingqing's Double Pupils and Divine Eyes have been successfully extracted."

Li Xuan nodded slightly. "Well done."
He rose to his feet and approached Li Qingqing. Sensing Li Xuan's oppressive aura drawing near, Li Qingqing shuddered.

"Patriarch, Patriarch, it was Qingqing who was wrong! Qingqing knows her mistake, please spare my life! Patriarch, I am a member of the Li family!"
Blood and tears streamed from Li Qingqing's empty sockets. The agony was excruciating; she could vividly feel her power draining away.
Those were her Double Pupils and her Divine Eyes!

[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel profound remorse. You have gained 99,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by nine years.]

Li Xuan shook his head. "You weren't wrong. How could you possibly be wrong? Tell me, who seduced you into leaving the Li family? And where were you planning to go once you left?"

...

In the city, within the Li family's front courtyard, everyone raised their heads to look at the violent fluctuations rippling out from the back courtyard.
A supreme-tier bloodline!
The bloodline hidden within Li Qingqing's body was actually a supreme-tier bloodline!
How utterly foolish Li Qingqing had been!

Right at that moment, a mocking laugh rang out. "Hahaha, I never expected a supreme-tier bloodline to exist in such a backwater little town."
A burly man with a thick beard instantly soared into the sky, hovering high above the entire Yu City. His gaze locked onto the Li family's back courtyard, fixing upon the Qiongqi bloodline resting in Li Xuan's hand. Greed flashed through his eyes. "Brat, hand over that supreme-tier bloodline!"

The bearded man was bursting with ecstatic joy. He had merely been passing through this tiny city, never expecting to stumble upon a supreme-tier bloodline!
"Splendid, simply splendid! Hand over the supreme-tier bloodline, and I'll grant you a swift and painless death!"

Down below in Yu City, everyone looked up at the bearded man and shook their heads in pity.
"Just who has the guts to provoke our Yu City's Li family?!"
"Heh, the man calls himself a Void-realm expert, after all; we ought to show him a little respect! Haha, show him a little respect! Haha, I can't keep a straight face anymore!"
"..."

People across Yu City looked up, eager to see how the Li family Patriarch would step forth to obliterate this Void-realm intruder.
A Void-realm expert might be considered formidable in the outside world, but this was Yu City, and this was the Li family.
They could only say: he still needed more practice!
Because the Li family Patriarch was a Saint; he could crush a Void-realm expert with a single finger.

Filled with smug arrogance, the bearded man stepped through the void and materialized directly above the Li family estate, his greedy eyes fixed on the golden, glowing Qiongqi essence in Li Xuan's hand before shifting to the white dog lying near Li Xuan's feet. He burst into hearty laughter. "Ha! There's even a rare beast here. Not bad, not bad at all. I never imagined such treasures existed in this pathetic little town—keeping them here is a complete waste of heavenly resources!"
"Hand them over to me."

The bearded man didn't put the Li family in his eyes in the slightest. What was a Li family? Merely a clan in some backwater town; what kind of threat could they possibly pose?

"Merit, virtue, benevolence. Benefactor, aren't you being a bit too greedy?" Another voice echoed through the air as a bald monk materialized out of nowhere. With a round, fleshy face and a grave, solemn expression, he stared fixedly at the bearded man.
"Where did this bald donkey crawl out from?" The bearded man was momentarily startled, but without a moment's hesitation, a towering pagoda materialized, crashing down toward the monk with terrifying force.

*Bang!* The monk threw a single punch, shattering the pagoda to pieces. He shook his head and swayed from side to side. "Amitabha. It seems these treasures are not meant for you; they share a profound destiny with this poor monk."

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, the bearded man stared at the monk in absolute shock.
Everyone else was stunned. They had assumed this monk had stepped forward to champion the Li family, only to realize he was here for the Li family's supreme-tier bloodline as well.

The monk didn't waste words. Throwing another punch, he struck the bearded man squarely in the chest. *Bang!* The bearded man was blown to smithereens on the spot.
Dusting off his fists, the monk looked toward the Li family's back courtyard with a joyous expression. "Amitabha! Hurry up and present the treasures, and this monk will grant you a painless departure."
"To die by the hands of a Saint-realm monk is your supreme honor. Rest assured, with a single punch from this monk, you won't feel a thing, and it might even secure you a good reincarnation in your next life."

His heart was pounding with wild ecstasy. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to encounter a Qiongqi bloodline here. Wonderful, simply wonderful!
He had originally thought he sensed some ordinary treasure, but it turned out to be the real deal—a genuine supreme treasure! It had truly been worth flying over here directly!

Standing in the courtyard, Li Xuan glanced dismissively at the monk before looking down at Li Qingqing. "Tch. Things you disdained and discarded are actually coveted even by Saints."

Li Qingqing's body twitched convulsively as another streak of bloody tears leaked from her empty sockets.
[You have caused the Daughter of Destiny, Li Qingqing, to feel intense regret and hatred. You have gained 66,666 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by six years.]

"No, those belong to me!"
Li Qingqing shrieked, her voice harrowing and desolate. She regretted it now; she truly had never imagined that the Qiongqi Bloodline and the Double Pupils were powerful enough to attract the covetous eyes of Saints.
What she regretted even more was failing to anticipate that the Li family Patriarch would be so ruthless, severing every last retreat available to her!
*No, it can't be! I've already notified Brother Nie Mie; Brother Nie Mie will definitely come to save me!*

Down in the city, the onlookers were dumbfounded. It was actually a Saint!

Striding into the estate, the monk swept his gaze across the courtyard, his eyes burning with fiery greed as they locked onto the Qiongqi essence in Li Xuan's hand, before shifting to the dormant Night Qingcheng.
He cracked a wide smile. "Ha! What wonderful treasures, truly magnificent treasures."
"To those who see them, they belong to everyone."

Yet another voice chimed in. From a secluded corner of the Li family grounds, a figure clad in gray robes materialized out of nowhere, rasping in a harsh, scratchy voice.
The gray-robed figure fixed his eyes on the monk. He was also a Saint, having spent a long time in closed-door cultivation nearby. He never expected to witness the birth of a supreme-tier bloodline!
Sharing it with others upon sight was naturally impossible; he would simply have to obliterate this puny clan first!

The monk paused for a fraction of a second, his gaze turning as sharp as lightning. "Very well! Let's eradicate this petty clan and leave this place first!"

Yet another Saint.
Both the citizens of Yu City and the members of the Li family were stunned. Looking up, the elders of the Li clan rose to their feet one by one, their expressions grave.
Saints! The Patriarch was only a single Saint—their entire clan was in grave peril!

"Two Saints descending upon us truly brings great glory to my Li family. I only wonder if the two of you will still be able to leave once you've stepped inside."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Li Xuan gazed calmly at the two men.
"Don't you know that some places are forbidden to tread? Truly, men die for wealth as birds die for food."

At some point, Zhao Xin had stepped behind Li Xuan, clutching a weapon in a white-knuckled grip, his body trembling slightly. After all, his cultivation realm was merely at the Transforming Rainbow stage.

Both the monk and the gray-robed figure burst out laughing.
"Is there anything left in this pathetic place that could possibly threaten us?" The monk laughed uproariously, pointing mockingly at Li Xuan and the others. "Is it you? You? Or perhaps this little dog?"

Night Qingcheng shook her fur and stood up, an ominous glare in her eyes. "Are you looking down on me?"

The monk and the gray-robed figure both froze. *A talking dog?*
*Oh no,* the gray-robed figure felt a jolt of alarm, terror gripping his heart.

A streak of black lightning flashed through the air. Night Qingcheng swiped a claw, and in a single heartbeat, she tore the gray-robed Saint to shreds.
The monk wore the expression of someone who had just seen a ghost. He bellowed in horror, "What in the world is this thing?!"

Night Qingcheng ground her teeth together, then slapped out with a single paw. *Bang!* The monk was flattened into a bloody mist on the spot.

Zhao Xin stood frozen in place, staring down in absolute disbelief at Night Qingcheng. *Two slaps? A single slap for each Saint?!*
And this terrifying dog was merely a watchdog kept by the Li family Patriarch?!
The Li family Patriarch was unimaginably terrifying! He must never, ever be provoked!

Night Qingcheng raised her head. "Are you looking down on me too?"
Hastily shaking his head, Zhao Xin replied, "No, no, absolutely not! Senior's divine bearing is peerless and boundless, and this junior's admiration flows endlessly like a great river!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Night Qingcheng turned around and curled back up on the ground.

Li Xuan smiled faintly. "Throw Li Qingqing out. Erase her name from the Li family's ancestral registry. From this day forward, our Li family has no such person as Li Qingqing."

Immediately, a pair of female Li family attendants stepped forward to drag Li Qingqing away. Along the way, they couldn't help casting awestruck glances at Night Qingcheng. Shock gripped their hearts: even a mere watchdog raised by the Patriarch could effortlessly slaughter a Saint with a single paw!
Thrilling! Astounding!
The Patriarch is truly invincible!

Dropping to his knees before Li Xuan, Zhao Xin kowtowed heavily, his head striking the flagstones with loud thuds. "Many thanks, Patriarch, for sparing my sister's life!"

Sipping his tea, Li Xuan replied indifferently, "Rise. Whether your sister lives or dies depends entirely on her own choices."

Hearing this, Zhao Xin's expression tightened. He knew that while the Patriarch had let his sister go today, if she dared to court death by causing trouble for the Li family again...
Offering a respectful bow, Zhao Xin hurriedly withdrew.

...

The people in the city were already dumbstruck. They had witnessed the terrifying auras of two Saints instantly shattered by a massive dog paw.
They absolutely hadn't misseen: the Li family Patriarch hadn't even lifted a finger; it was a dog belonging to the Li family that had done it?

"Gulp... Good heavens, the one who made a move wasn't even the Li family Patriarch? It looked like a dog?"
"What dog? Show some respect, that's a divine beast! A divine beast!"
"Sweet mother of gods, the Li family is outrageously ferocious! No, I have to move to the Li family's territory!"
"Two Saint-realm experts? Two Saint-realm experts were directly beaten to death? By a dog—oh, wait, a divine beast! They were swatted to death like flies by the Li family's divine beast?!"
"Too terrifying!"

Shock rippled through the entirety of Yu City. The Li family Patriarch hadn't even bothered to move against two Saints; a mere hound under his command had instantly eradicated them!
Formidable! Mind-blowing!
They had originally assumed the Li family Patriarch would personally step out to eliminate these prying intruders.
Never had they imagined that the Li family Patriarch didn't even need to, nor was there any need for him to do so!
Want the Patriarch to make a move?
A dog under the Patriarch's command swatted them into oblivion directly!

Across Yu City, everyone grew more and more shaken the more they thought about it.
Those Spirit-Refining realm experts who had previously witnessed the Li family's bloodline phenomenon silently wiped the cold sweat from their brows.
Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness he hadn't tried to make a move earlier!
Who could have guessed the Li family was harboring such unfathomable foundations?!

Many citizens within the city began discussing whether they could move their entire households near the Tailong Sect, seeing as the Li family was also planning to relocate. They wanted to follow the Li family wherever they went.

***

Meanwhile.
In front of the Li family gates.

Li Qingqing—no, she should now be called Zhao Qingqing,
Because Li Qingqing's name had already been struck from the Li family records!

Caked in blood, Zhao Qingqing was dragged out of the courtyard. Trails of blood stained the ground behind her, yet not a single person felt a trace of pity.
The Li family disciples looked at Zhao Qingqing with utter indifference. They simply could not fathom why Zhao Qingqing had acted this way—why she had chosen to betray the Li family!
Had the Li family ever wronged her in any way?
Not at all!

"Zhao Qingqing brought this completely upon herself!"
"The Patriarch and the Clan Head cultivated Zhao Qingqing with such care, yet... my heart aches for the Patriarch and the rest of them."
"Heh, she reaps what she sows. I wonder if we might have a chance to claim that Qiongqi Bloodline now."
Instantly, the eyes of several Li family disciples lit up.

As Zhao Qingqing was dragged along, listening to the murmurs around her, a bone-chilling coldness and venomous hatred flooded her heart. She couldn't believe that the Li family disciples who used to hold her in such high esteem could now speak of her with such disdain.
Not a single person shed a tear for her or felt the slightest pang of sympathy.

Consumed by biting hatred, Zhao Qingqing winced as a sharp pain flared across her face; she was violently tossed onto the cold ground, battered and bloody.
Bursting into miserable tears, Zhao Qingqing clenched her fists into tight balls. She swore she would never let the Li family off—she would never, ever spare the Li family Patriarch!

"Qingqing! Qingqing, are you alright?"
Hearing a melodious voice calling out,
Before the Li family gates, Bai Zhixi rushed forward in shock, catching Zhao Qingqing in her arms. "Qingqing, how did you end up like this?! Who did this to you?!"

Shock and burning fury churned within Bai Zhixi's chest. As a close friend of Zhao Qingqing and well-acquainted with Nie Mie, the sight of Zhao Qingqing's miserable state filled her with unmitigated rage.
Supporting Zhao Qingqing's battered frame, she could instantly feel that the bloodline within Zhao Qingqing's body was completely gone, and her eyes—her eyes had been gouged out!

Worse still, Bai Zhixi sensed that Zhao Qingqing's spiritual power had been permanently eradicated, as if it had been entirely wiped away. This was a permanent state—the devastating price of losing one's bloodline and eyes.
Bai Zhixi was well aware of Zhao Qingqing's Divine Eyes as well.

What vicious cruelty! What venomous methods!
Extracting bloodline power directly from living flesh and bone—
Extracting bone marrow and stripping away one's bones, how utterly ruthless!

What kind of deep-seated grudge or hatred could warrant this?!
This was clearly meant to utterly cripple Zhao Qingqing for life!

Popping a medicinal pill into Zhao Qingqing's mouth, Bai Zhixi glared murderously at the Li family estate. "Qingqing, was this the Li family's doing? To think the Li family would actually cripple you! I will make them pay for this!"
Murderous intent radiated from every pore of Bai Zhixi's body!

Swallowing the pill, Zhao Qingqing felt a slight easing of the pain. She gripped Bai Zhixi's sleeve fiercely. "No, Sister Zhixi, let's get out of here first! Don't worry! I will definitely make the Li family pay for this blood debt!"
"I want the Li family to watch as I rise to even greater heights! I want them to realize that without me—without me, Zhao Qingqing—what is the Li family even worth?!"

Hatred burned fiercely in Zhao Qingqing's chest. She would trample the Li family into the dirt, watch them wither into decline, and force the Li family Patriarch to kneel and beg her for mercy!

Bai Zhixi paused for a fraction of a second, looking down at Zhao Qingqing before finally nodding. "Alright, I'll take you away from here first—we're heading to the Morning Glow Sect!"
The Morning Glow Sect had connections to several of their mutual friends, and it was also an ally of Nie Mie. Most importantly, Bai Zhixi knew that the Morning Glow Sect possessed a divine spring that might just be able to heal Zhao Qingqing's injuries.

Supporting Zhao Qingqing, Bai Zhixi hurried away.

[You have provoked the Daughter of Destiny, Bai Zhixi. You have gained 9,999 Villain Points, and your lifespan has increased by one year.]

Deep within the Li family courtyard, Li Xuan watched with amused interest as Bai Zhixi helped Zhao Qingqing flee. Two Daughters of Destiny had surfaced now.
Interesting.

With a gentle nudge of his foot, Li Xuan prodded Night Qingcheng and gave his instructions. "Go to the Morning Glow Sect. Tell them to reject Zhao Qingqing and her companion. Follow them wherever they go—whichever holy land or major sect they seek refuge in, you are to ensure that holy land or sect turns them away!"
"I want to see them driven to a desperate end with no path to heaven and no door to the earth."

Night Qingcheng let out a chuckle as well. She had originally feared following Tai Xuan would prove dreadfully dull, but she hadn't expected such entertaining amusements to pop up. Her figure vanished in a blink.

Turning his gaze to a female attendant standing nearby—who was also a disciple of the Li family—
Li Xuan gave his orders. "Draft a notice and distribute it to all the neighboring sects. Let them know that anyone who dares to take Zhao Qingqing into their fold will be considered an enemy of the Li family. Tell them to weigh the consequences carefully and bear the full fallout themselves."

The attendant immediately lowered her head in respectful assent.