"Those cries outside the town earlier—they must have been from them."
"But why did that old demon use blood sacrifice on everyone else and spare only them?"
"Hmm?"
Elian's eyes flickered as he grasped the girl's wrist. A moment later, a glimmer of surprise lit up his face.
He could clearly sense that this girl possessed dual Fire-Wood spiritual roots. Such complementary roots allowed for cultivation speeds even faster than typical dual roots, making her exceptionally rare.
"Dual roots... no wonder the demon slaughtered the entire town but left them unharmed."
"If she has dual roots, then what about him?"
Elian turned his gaze to Chen Ling, his expression filled with anticipation. Twins born together often shared similar innate talent.
Wasting no time, Elian tested the boy's spiritual roots as well and found that he possessed Fire-Metal dual roots.
Having discovered this exceptional pair of siblings, Elian didn't linger in the ruined town. After a quick search confirmed there were no other survivors, he immediately departed for Pingyang City with the children.
As for handling the numerous corpses in Pingyuan Town, he left that task to the city officials.
Upon returning to Pingyang City, Elian reported everything to the family council. A few days later, an investigation revealed the full extent of the tragedy.
It turned out that the demonic cultivator had been hiding his identity for years, earning trust in Pingyuan Town before ambushing and killing the Chen family cultivator in charge of the town's protective formation, leading to the devastating massacre.
"Damn that demonic cultivator, so deceitful!"
"This deserves a fate worse than death!" Chen Nianyang, eldest son of the Grand Elder, said furiously after hearing the news.
The Grand Elder waved his hand, silencing the room, and addressed the assembled cultivators.
"The disaster has already occurred. There's no point in lamenting now."
"From this day forth, issue a decree to all towns under our protection. Conduct a thorough census. Investigate every unfamiliar face."
"Anyone not of the Chen family must have their background rigorously verified. Even among our own, guard against demonic possession."
"We must ensure this tragedy is never repeated…"
After giving these instructions, the Grand Elder turned to Elian and said, "When you return to Qingyuan Mountain, ask the Third Elder to send additional manpower to Pingyang."
"Understood," Elian replied, his tone resolute. The massacre in Pingyuan Town, with its thousands of innocent lives lost to blood sacrifice, was a calamity too grievous to overlook.
To prevent such horrors in the future, Elian resolved to inform the clan leader upon his return and convene a council of elders. Together, they would devise a strategy to root out demonic infiltrators and protect the Chen family's mortal descendants.
With nearly 200,000 descendants under the Chen family's protection, a thorough investigation would be an immense undertaking. The cultivators in Pingyang City numbered only around twenty; with their current duties defending the city and now tasked with identifying hidden demons, reinforcements from Qingyuan Mountain were necessary.
"I should leave without delay," Elian said, bowing respectfully.
"No need to rush," the Grand Elder said, stroking his beard.
"The demon has already been dealt with. A day or two won't make much difference."
"You've expended your energy testing spiritual roots and battling the demon. Rest tonight, and tomorrow, escort the children with spiritual roots back to Qingyuan Mountain."
Elian nodded. "That's acceptable."
The next morning, Elian departed with five children who had been found to possess spiritual roots.
The journey back took considerably longer due to the children, stretching to seven or eight days instead of the usual two. Finally, they arrived at Qingyuan Mountain.
Upon returning, Elian immediately went to the spiritual spring in the rear of the mountain, where he met the clan leader, Chen Changxuan.
The old clan leader, one of the elder generation, was now over 110 years old. Compared to the typical lifespan of 200 years for Foundation Establishment cultivators, he was still relatively young.
However, his injuries from an ambush two years ago had damaged his meridians, leaving his path forward uncertain.
Seeing the aged clan leader, Elian sighed inwardly. Even if the leader healed, the family's current situation made it impossible to support him in pursuing the resources needed for advancing to the Purple Mansion stage.
The clan's fortune was cruel. At its peak 60 years ago, the Chen family had been on the verge of breaking through to a higher level of prominence, possessing multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators and even a clan leader at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment.
They had invested everything accumulated over centuries to acquire the rare treasure, the Purple Sun Jade, needed to attempt a breakthrough to the Purple Mansion stage.
But in the devastating beast tide that followed, the Chen family was betrayed and ambushed. Most of their fighting force, including the then-clan leader, perished. The precious Purple Sun Jade was lost, and the family's decline began.
"Cough…"
The clan leader's pale complexion flushed slightly as he noticed Elian's arrival.
Suppressing his weariness, he put on a kind smile and said, "Elian, what brings you here?"
"I've returned to report a calamity that has befallen our family," Elian replied.
He recounted the events at Pingyuan Town in detail. As he finished, Chen Changxuan's eyes flashed with anger.
"Those demonic bastards grow bolder by the day!"
"Do they think our Chen family is defenseless?"
Seeing the clan leader's rising anger, Elian grew concerned for his health and quickly interjected, "Uncle Ancestor, please don't strain yourself."
"The demon has been slain. Anger now serves no purpose."
The clan leader took a deep breath, reigning in his emotions, though his expression remained grave.
"Elder Qingxu is right. The priority now is to ensure this doesn't happen again."
"Demonic cultivators are insidious, and Pingyang may harbor more of them in hiding."
"My injuries prevent me from acting freely. To prevent another disaster, you and the other elders must act decisively and root out these threats."
Elian nodded.
"I've already considered this."
"Once the council convenes, we will organize a comprehensive investigation of Pingyang's population. Any demonic infiltrators we find will be eliminated without mercy."
"Good," the clan leader said approvingly.
"The elders are all seasoned and prudent. Discuss the plan thoroughly with them, and prioritize safety above all."
…
After leaving the spiritual spring, Elian immediately called for a council meeting.
The Grand Elder was in Pingyang, and the Second Elder had already departed for Yuyang Market after the New Year. Thus, the meeting comprised only Elian, the Third Elder, the Fourth Elder, and the Fifth Elder.
As they gathered in the council chamber, Elian noticed the empty seat of the Sixth Elder. The Third Elder caught his gaze and said somberly:
"After the New Year, Qingmeng entered a death-sealing meditation."