Deep within the Gongming Family’s manor in Black Rock City, inside a grand hall where the soul tablets of important Family members were enshrined.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Three crisp shattering sounds rang out in succession, sounding exceptionally piercing in the silent hall. The Disciple on duty watched in horror as the three jade soul tablets representing the Third Elder Gong Mingliang and his two trusted Foundation Establishment Cultivators were covered in cracks almost simultaneously, then completely exploded, turning into fine powder!

"The... The Third Elder has fallen!" The duty Disciple was scared out of his wits, scrambling out of the hall as he screamed hoarsely, "This is bad! The Third Elder’s soul tablet has shattered!"

The news was like a clap of thunder, instantly exploding throughout the entire Gongming Family!

A moment later, within the Family’s discussion hall, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the dead silence before a storm. On the main seat sat an old man whose features somewhat resembled Gong Mingliang’s, but his aura was deeper, more vast, and naturally imposing. He was the current head of the Gongming Family, Gong Ming Yao, a Cultivator at the Great Perfection of Golden Core Stage! Below him sat several powerful Family Elders, each with a grim expression.

"Mingliang... has actually fallen!" Gong Ming Yao’s voice was low, containing a fury like a volcano before an eruption. "What was the last thing he went to do?"

An Elder in charge of intelligence immediately reported, "To the Family Head, the Third Elder finally led men to the Black Wind Abyss, supposedly to track down that Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator who won the fragment of the heavenly craft puppet manual at the auction, Fang Hao!"

"Fang Hao? A Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator?" Another Elder was incredulous. "The Third Elder was at the Middle Golden Core Stage and took four Foundation Establishment elites with him. How could..."

"The soul tablets shattered almost simultaneously, which means they encountered an irresistible enemy and were killed instantly!" Cold light burst from Gong Ming Yao’s eyes. "Although there are dangers in the Black Wind Abyss, something that can instantly kill Mingliang and the others is definitely not ordinary! Either they encountered a Nascent Soul Level Demon Beast or a perilous area, or... that Fang Hao hid his strength or possesses a great treasure!"

He stood up abruptly, his powerful pressure causing the air in the entire hall to freeze. "Regardless of the reason, Mingliang’s death is definitely tied to that Fang Hao! Pass down my orders!"

"First, immediately draw a portrait of Fang Hao and distribute it to all areas under the Family’s influence, as well as to friendly Sects and Families. Pursue this scoundrel throughout the entire territory! I want him alive if possible, or his corpse if not!"

"Second, a bounty! Anyone providing accurate clues about Fang Hao will be rewarded with one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Anyone who takes his head will be rewarded with a million Low-Grade Spirit Stones and can become a Guest Elder of our Gongming Family!"

"Third, send more manpower to carefully search the Black Wind Abyss and surrounding areas for any clues related to Mingliang’s fall!"

"Fourth, strictly monitor the teleportation Formations, markets, and inns in Black Rock City and all surrounding cities. Once Fang Hao’s traces are found, report immediately; do not alert the enemy!"

Order after order was quickly transmitted, and the vast machine of the Gongming Family began to operate with efficiency and rage. An inescapable net targeting Fang Hao was rapidly spread across the western part of Qingzhou!

...

Meanwhile, in a hidden cave hundreds of miles away from the Black Wind Abyss.

Fang Hao sat cross-legged, his face pale and blood still lingering at the corners of his mouth. He had just taken a healing Medicinal Pill and was fully circulating his Cultivation Technique to repair the serious injuries left from his battle with Gong Mingliang. The fracture in his left arm had been temporarily fixed with spiritual power, and the charred wound on his shoulder was slowly healing.

"Cough, cough..." He coughed up some clotted blood, feeling his chest become a bit clearer. Recalling that desperate counter-kill at the edge of the Black Wind Abyss, he still felt a lingering fear. The deathbed counterattack of a Middle Golden Core Stage Cultivator was incredibly powerful; if the golden puppet hadn’t blocked most of the attack, he would probably have died there.

"Gong Mingliang is dead, and the Gongming Family will certainly not let it go." Fang Hao’s expression was grave. He knew well how terrifying the power of a Family with a Nascent Soul Cultivator sitting in command could be. In the coming days, he had to be even more cautious, as if walking on the edge of a blade.

"The top priority is to repair the golden puppet!" He looked internally at the dull, dark-gold Puppet inside his storage ring. The golden puppet was currently his greatest reliance; only by repairing it and possessing Nascent Soul Level combat power could he have a slim chance of survival under the Gongming Family’s pursuit.

He took out the precious fragment of the heavenly craft puppet manual Jade Slip and once again carefully studied the section regarding repairs, especially the records concerning "earth core jade marrow."

"earth core jade marrow is formed over ten thousand years from the essence of earth fire and the elemental power of the earth within special jade veins. It is mild in nature and contains life force, making it an excellent material for repairing the base of energy cores... It is mostly born near large volcanic ranges or underground lava rivers where earth fire is active and the geology is stable..."

Fang Hao’s gaze roamed over the map. The western part of Qingzhou was dominated by wastelands and cold, dangerous places like the Black Wind Abyss, where earth fire was not active. To find earth core jade marrow, he had to head east and enter the central or even eastern regions of Qingzhou, where the famous "Lava Mountain Range" and "Earth Fire Plains" were located. Those places were heavens for fire-attribute Cultivators and Artifact Refiners, and the most hopeful places to find earth core jade marrow.

"The Lava Mountain Range... is no less than ten thousand miles from here..." Fang Hao took a deep breath. This meant he had to cross nearly half of Qingzhou, during which he would have to avoid the layers of pursuit from the Gongming Family; the difficulty could well be imagined.

But there was no other choice!

After he finished adjusting his breathing and his injuries were seventy to eighty percent stabilized, he immediately left the hidden cave. He changed his appearance, disguising himself as an ordinary-looking middle-aged Loose Cultivator with an aura of only the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, and put the yitian sword and other highly recognizable items deep into his storage ring, using only an ordinary azure steel sword.

He didn’t dare enter any large cities anymore, choosing instead to head east along remote paths and the edges of mountain ranges. Along the way, he slept in the wild and ate in the wind, his Divine Sense always remaining highly alert.

Sure enough, he soon felt the pressure of the pursuit. On the bulletin boards of some small towns, he saw his portrait (though it was his previous appearance) and the high bounty from the Gongming Family. Some groups of Cultivators he encountered along the way were also discussing the fall of the Gongming Family’s Third Elder and the wanted criminal "Fang Hao."

"Have you heard? The Third Elder of the Gongming Family was taken out by someone in the Black Wind Abyss!"

"Is that for real? Who has such guts?"

"Supposedly he was counter-killed by a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator named Fang Hao! Now the Gongming Family is offering a million for his head!"

"A Foundation Establishment killing a Golden Core? You’re joking, right? He must have used some underhanded trick or had a great treasure!"

"Regardless, a million Spirit Stones! If I could just run into him..."

These discussions made Fang Hao even more careful. He tried his best to avoid human habitation, traveling day and night.

A few days later, as he was passing through a hilly area, he suddenly felt a sense of warning! Not far ahead, there was a faint spiritual power fluctuation; it seemed to be a simple early-warning Formation!

"An ambush!" Fang Hao reacted instantly, turning without hesitation to flee deep into the dense forest to the side!

"Stop!" A loud shout rang out from the side, and three figures dashed out, blocking his path! The leader was a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, and the other two were at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Judging by their clothing, they were Disciples of the Gongming Family!

"Acting stealthily and suspiciously! Come back with us for investigation!" the Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator shouted sharply, his gaze piercing as he scanned Fang Hao.

Fang Hao knew this wouldn’t end peacefully. A cold light flashed in his eyes; since he couldn’t avoid it, he would settle it quickly!

He no longer hid himself, and his Late Foundation Establishment Stage aura instantly erupted! He pushed his Divine Spirit Steps to the limit, his figure like lightning as he charged directly at that Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator! At the same time, he silently struck out with a Star Shattering Finger!

The Cultivator hadn’t expected Fang Hao to be so decisive and ruthless, and hastily raised his sword to parry!

Bang! Crack!

The finger force hit the sword blade, and the longsword snapped! The Star Shattering Finger’s momentum didn’t decrease, hitting him in the chest!

"Pfft!" The Cultivator’s eyes bulged, his face full of disbelief as he died on the spot!

The other two Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivators were scared out of their wits and turned to flee!

How could Fang Hao let them go? He instantly used Dividing Light Sword Shadow, and several sword shadows whistled out, piercing through both of their hearts!

After quickly cleaning up the battlefield and destroying all traces of the bodies, Fang Hao immediately fled far away. His expression became even more grave. The Gongming Family’s pursuit net was even denser and faster than he had imagined.

"I must reach the Lava Mountain Range faster!" Fang Hao took a deep breath and increased his speed to the limit, his figure disappearing into the vast mountain forest.

The road ahead was long and filled with killing intent. But he had no other choice; he could only head all the way east, searching for that one slim chance of survival in the crisis-ridden Lava Mountain Range—the earth core jade marrow.