Chapter 7: The City Lord's Son's Struggle (Part 6)

Another year has passed.
Su Chen successfully fused with the spirit rune, stepping into the Spirit Rune Realm.
This spirit rune was pieced together from a third-tier Gale Wolf; it was a beast rune, of cyan quality, but Su Chen had no right to be picky.
In this world, spirit runes are divided into white, cyan, blue, purple, orange, and red.
A high-quality spirit rune represents combat power; spirit runes bring a boost to their owner.
The Gale Wolf's boost is speed.
Cyan particles swirled around Su Chen's feet as he spiraled upwards.
"Is this the power of the Spirit Rune Realm?"
In his previous life, Su Chen never broke through to the Spirit Rune Realm; he had no cultivation techniques, no spirit runes.
In this life, at only twenty-three years old, Su Chen had broken through to the Spirit Rune Realm!
"The Xu family..."
Su Chen's expression was cold. He still harbored resentment towards the Xu family; the annihilation of their clan in his previous life meant that Su Chen wouldn't be at peace even if a single member of the Xu family were to leave.
"Wait... If I rashly act at the first level of the Spirit Pattern Realm and get bogged down by the old man from the Xu family, many members of the Xu family might escape."
Su Chen wanted the entire Xu family wiped out!
He didn't act immediately. He had endured for so many years; why worry about a year or two?
After breaking through to the Spirit Pattern Realm, Su Chen returned to the Lingyun Martial Academy, causing a sensation.
He also obtained a large amount of cultivation resources.
This was Su Chen's goal. With these resources, reaching the second level of the Spirit Pattern Realm within a year was not a dream.
Thus, Su Chen continued his seclusion.
......
Two years later
The Xu family patriarch celebrated his 140th birthday.
All branches of the Xu family returned to the Xu family to celebrate the patriarch's birthday.
The Xu family was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.
But...
No one noticed that in a corner under the cover of night, a figure wearing a ghost mask and shrouded in black was looking ominously in the direction of the Xu family.
This was Su Chen, who had just finished his seclusion at the Lingyun Martial Academy.
He could finally settle old scores with the Xu family!
He would seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to wipe out the Xu family in one fell swoop!
Su Chen moved swiftly, each step accompanied by a wisp of azure energy, his figure appearing almost instantly in the next location.
Behind Su Chen, a faint tremor could be heard as a group of fully armed martial artists followed him into the Xu family compound.
Leading them was an elderly man with squinting eyes, gray hair, a hunched back, and a somewhat portly appearance.
Xu Family Compound
Su Chen displayed his Spirit Pattern Realm strength, cutting his way in.
Many Xu family members died at Su Chen's hands, prompting the Xu family to react and hastily gather a large number of martial artists.
"Who are you, and why are you attacking my Xu family?"
The one who spoke was a middle-aged man from the Xu family.
Although his appearance had changed, Su Chen still recognized him; his name was Xu Changyuan, Xu Ba's youngest son.
He had met him once in his previous life.
Su Chen moved with light, unhurried steps, disappearing from his spot. By the time the Xu family's many martial artists reacted, Su Chen was already standing before Xu Changyuan.
Xu Changyuan's eyes were filled with terror. He gurgled as if trying to say something, but a sword swiftly severed his head.
Su Chen held the sword in one hand and Xu Changyuan's head in the other.
The Xu family's direct descendants around him were filled with grief, urging the martial artists who served the Xu family to fight Su Chen to the death.
Su Chen casually slashed a few fearless individuals, but the crowd retreated in terror.
He didn't continue attacking; it would be a waste of his energy.
These people could be left to the Su family.
That's right! Su Chen found the Su family he belonged to in his previous life, and the family head, his younger brother from his past life, Su Xuehe.
After Su Chen's death in his previous life, Su Xuehe secretly found the descendants of Su Chen and several old friends, hiding them away, which is why the Xu family couldn't find them for so many years.
Su Xuehe harbored hatred for the Xu family.
Su Xuehe had taken Su Chen's position in the Su family for the sake of martial arts cultivation.
Martial arts are about competition.
But... Su Chen was his own brother, his only family after the deaths of his parents and aunt!
Killed by the Xu family, his clan wiped out, how could he not hate them?
The moment he discovered that his descendants had been adopted by Su Xuehe, Su Chen was filled with mixed emotions.
However, Su Chen was pleased; Su Xuehe was more suitable to be a family head than he was.
Therefore, Su Chen concealed his identity and sought cooperation with Su Xuehe to destroy the Xu family.
Su Chen's goal was to obtain an opportunity from the Xu family; in return, the Xu family's other possessions could be handed over to Su Xuehe.
This could be considered compensation for his family from his previous life.
When Su Chen revealed his cultivation at the third level of the Spirit Pattern Realm, Su Xuehe decisively chose to cooperate.
Because when Su Chen displayed his cultivation, the Su family had only one choice.
The Su family's foundation consisted of only an old, near-death Spirit Pattern Realm first-level cultivator, desperately needing a new Spirit Pattern Realm expert to lead the way.
No matter the choice, cooperating with Su Chen was the best option.
Therefore, as Su Chen approached the Xu family's inner courtyard,
Su Xuehe led a large number of Su family members in and, without hesitation, began a massacre.
New and old grudges—only the annihilation of the clan and death could settle the score.
Su Chen slaughtered his way into the Xu family's inner courtyard. The entire Xu family sensed something was wrong and began to panic.
Su Chen killed several more direct descendants of the Xu family along the way. If he felt they resembled someone even slightly, he killed them, then carried their heads. If he couldn't carry any more heads, he hung them on his waist, like a demon descended from hell.
Su Chen suddenly stopped. He noticed a familiar figure trying to slip away among the crowd.
"So it's you!"
Su Chen's eyes blazed with boundless hatred.
The man seemed to notice Su Chen watching him, abruptly looking up. Seeing Su Chen's furious gaze, he trembled violently.
Many Xu family members were easily slaughtered by Su Chen, using the most brutal swordsmanship, blood and flesh flying everywhere.
That swordsmanship… Lin Yifei was very familiar with it.
In this world, only one person could wield that swordsmanship with unparalleled skill.
He didn't even notice when the Xu family members and elders around him were killed, until the space around him was empty.
Then, when that figure, like a demon crawling out of hell, stared at him.
Lin Yifei could no longer bear the fear in his heart and knelt down.
Cold sweat drenched his aged face.
It was...it was so similar...
Lin Yifei lowered his head, not daring to look up, his throat bobbing as he uttered a trembling voice:
"You...who exactly are you?"
Lin Yifei was certain that the person he feared in his memory was dead beyond any doubt!
Su Chen's eyes were icy: "Just a vengeful ghost helping an old friend collect a debt."
A flash of sword light.
Lin Yifei was dead, his head falling to the ground, rolling over once, his incredulous eyes staring at Su Chen.
Su Chen didn't ask Lin Yifei why he betrayed him.
It was no longer necessary.
The price of betrayal... was only death, including his descendants.
Su Xuehe would take care of those.
Now...
A mournful wail echoed from the inner courtyard.
Su Chen also saw a familiar face.