Chapter 24

The elegant woman in plain clothes, enveloped in dazzling light, rushed into the storm, intending to rescue Du Shaofu.

Everything came and went quickly; the energy dissipated and faded, causing the mountains within the area to tilt and collapse, the earth to crack, and massive fissures to spread like abysses.

The Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix both chose to self-destruct, ultimately perishing together. Given the bloodline level and intelligence of these two beasts, they would never allow their bodies to be defiled by others. They would rather self-destruct than let anyone obtain their bodies to forge various treasures, which would not only be a disgrace to them but also to their entire bloodline of demon beasts. Therefore, some high-level demon beasts would actively self-destruct when they were about to fall, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of them.

The elegant woman in plain clothes stood in the midst of the devastated crater, and Du Shaofu's figure had already vanished. Without a doubt, in that terrifying destructive energy storm, Du Shaofu, who was so close, had no chance of resisting and was obliterated along with the Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix.

"Ultimately, it was I who caused your downfall. I have no face to see him anymore. Besides, this place is not where I should stay."

Looking at the devastated surroundings, the elegant woman in plain clothes appeared somewhat melancholy. After a moment, her figure moved, and she vanished into the air.

In the distant distance, atop a towering tree, an old woman and a spirited, well-dressed young girl gazed at the devastated mountains, sighing, "I didn't expect the Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix to be so ruthless, choosing to self-destruct and perish together, destroying everything. If we could have obtained the essence blood and secret bones of both the Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix, it would have been enough to make you dominate the world. Unfortunately, we missed this great opportunity."

The spirited, well-dressed young girl remained silent, her eyes like water. After a moment, she asked the old woman beside her, "Master, is that young man dead?"

"Of course, he is dead. The self-destruction of the Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix was too terrifying; even his master couldn't save him." The old woman said lightly. The self-destruction of the Golden-winged Great Peng and the Purple Flame Demon Phoenix was so powerful that even she had to avoid it. The elegant woman in plain clothes dared to rush in, proving that she was stronger than her. Moreover, she had already sensed that the elegant woman in plain clothes was injured; otherwise, their confrontation would have been even more difficult, and she might not have been able to resist.

"He saved me; otherwise, he wouldn't have died, and I wouldn't have survived." The young girl said softly, knowing that if the young man hadn't saved her, she would be the one dead now.

"We should leave."

The old woman didn't say much more, casting a final, regretful glance at the devastated mountains before leading the young girl away.

In Stone City, at dusk, the sun set, and the sky was tinged with blood.

At the Du family residence, Du Zhenwu paced back and forth, his expression grave. He finally stopped and looked at Du Zhixiong beside him, "So many days have passed, why is there still no news of Shaofu? Can't you find any clues at all?"

Du Zhixiong looked haggard, as if he hadn't rested for a long time. He said to Du Zhenwu, "We have been investigating with all our efforts, but there is still no news. The other families haven't had any contact with outsiders recently. Additionally, the Beast Mountain Range has experienced two consecutive waves of beast tides, causing many demon hunter teams to suffer misfortune. The survivors have all fled into the city. No one dares to enter the Beast Mountain Range casually these days."

"Put the matters in the Beast Mountain Range on hold for now; the most important thing is to find Shaofu."

Du Zhenwu frowned, then his expression changed slightly, "The appearance of the beast tides in the Beast Mountain Range is unusual. It might be due to the emergence of a treasure. You should keep an eye on it, at least to ensure that the benefits don't fall into the hands of the other families."

"I understand. I have already sent people to monitor the situation," Du Zhixiong nodded, then added, "Last night, the beast tide approached Stone City. The person in the city issued a震慑 (deterrent) sound, which deterred the approaching beast tide, preventing it from overwhelming the city. Otherwise, the consequences for the entire city would have been severe."

"Legend has it that the person in the city can't hold on much longer. If it weren't for their deterrent, the other families would have already made a move. Once the person in the city can no longer hold on, the entire city will no longer be peaceful, and the Ye family will be the first to suffer."

Du Zhenwu's brows furrowed, then he said softly, "I've heard that the young lady of the Ye family has been getting closer to the younger generations of the major families, including our Du family. Her true purpose is likely to choose allies. If the person in the city can no longer hold on, the Ye family will need allies."

"Brother, what should we do?" Du Zhixiong asked.

"Wait and see; we'll decide based on the situation."

Du Zhenwu looked at Du Zhixiong, then suddenly changed the subject, "Has the third brother been informed about Shaofu's situation?"

Du Zhixiong shook his head, "I haven't seen the third brother these past few days. He must have gone somewhere to drown his sorrows."

"I wonder what happened in the main family back then, which turned the once spirited third brother into what he is now. As his elder brother, I feel useless, unable to help him in any way. Now, I can't even take care of the third brother's child." Du Zhenwu's eyes were filled with tears.

"Brother, you don't need to blame yourself. I will do my best to find Shaofu." Du Zhixiong also felt guilty, having put all his efforts into the search but finding no trace. He was deeply worried about the outcome of the search.

Panic spread throughout Stone City as the beast tide approached, almost attacking the city, causing the people to live in fear.

Many demon hunter teams, who often roamed the Beast Mountain Range, hurriedly sought refuge in Stone City, not daring to enter the mountains again. It was said that during these two waves of the beast tide, countless demon hunter teams and adventurers had perished.

"Has a treasure appeared in the Beast Mountain Range, causing the beast tide?"

"Last night, the Beast Mountain Range was ablaze with fire, like the sun rising in the east. Could it be that some heavenly treasure has truly appeared?"

"Even if there is a treasure, one must have the means to obtain it."

"..."

In the streets and alleys of Stone City, various discussions spread, all centered around the changes in the Beast Mountain Range. Most people speculated that a treasure had appeared, which made many people's eyes gleam with excitement, eager to try their luck. If they could obtain the treasure, it would be a great fortune.

"Pain, so much pain."

When Du Shaofu regained consciousness, he immediately felt a burning sensation in his chest, with intense pain radiating from his heart. The pain was so intense that it was indescribable, piercing through his heart.

Du Shaofu vaguely sensed that at his heart, a segment of his rib had been forcibly torn away and then forcibly reattached, but the two segments did not fuse, like oil and water.

In the midst of the intense pain, the half-segment of the rib that had been forcibly reattached glowed like a brilliant golden sun, seeping out a dense, peculiar golden blood. This golden blood flowed directly into Du Shaofu's heart, veins, meridians, skin, and muscles, and connected with his entire skeletal system.