Led by Bai Menglian, the group of five turned onto a side path.
The fog was still thick, but there were no longer any demonic creatures lunging out at them from time to time.
"Eldest Sister, how did you know there was a path here? Even I didn't know," Bai Mengxing asked loudly as he walked, completely innocent of any hidden motives.
A flash of awkwardness crossed Bai Menglian's face, and she replied slowly, "Years ago, Father asked Grand-Uncle to explain the introductory cultivation methods to me, and this path was discovered back then."
Bai Mengxing let out an "ah." "Grand-Uncle even taught you cultivation methods? Why didn't he ever teach us?"
Seeing his crystal-clear stupidity, Bai Mengjin rolled her eyes. Both she and her eldest sister could be considered exceptionally clever, and their third sister and second younger brother below didn't look dull either; how was it that their eldest brother turned out like this, as if all his wits had been given to the girls without a single one left for him?
Wasn't it blatantly obvious that their Third Uncle had privately begged Grand-Uncle to tutor her in secret? What was even the point of asking?
Bai Menglian evidently thought the same, offering a few vague responses without answering directly.
Hearing their exchange, Yue Yunqiao shot her senior brother a glance. So even siblings in a great family would play secret mind games, no better than people within a sect.
Huo Chongxiao smiled helplessly. What was so strange about that? Whether within a sect or a family, while people supported one another, they were also competitors.
"We're here," Bai Menglian stopped in her tracks.
They rounded the side path and were now standing beneath a protruding boulder, with Wuye Cottage just on the other side.
Looking over from here, Wuye Cottage was completely obscured by the mist. Under the moonlight, dense demonic qi condensed into shape above it, resembling an inverted light shield.
Huo Chongxiao drew in a sharp breath. "He is condensing a Demonic Heart!"
"Senior Brother, what does that mean?" Yue Yunqiao asked.
With a heavy expression, Huo Chongxiao explained, "Just as a sword cultivator must condense a sword heart, only by condensing a demonic heart can one truly become a demonic cultivator."
The difference between a sword heart and a demonic heart lay in the Golden Core. At the moment of forming a core, a dharma cultivator forms a Golden Core, a sword cultivator forms a sword heart, and a demonic cultivator forms a demonic heart.
Yue Yunqiao more or less understood. "Senior Brother Bai was originally a dharma cultivator, right? Is he trying to transform his Golden Core into a demonic heart?"
Huo Chongxiao nodded slowly. "Precisely."
Yue Yunqiao was startled. "Doesn't that mean he has to shatter his core?"
Huo Chongxiao nodded again and couldn't help marveling, "Yes, this Senior Brother Bai is a ruthlessly vicious man!"
"Wait," Bai Menglian interrupted them. "What are you talking about? My Grand-Uncle is converting to the demonic path?"
Ah, she didn't know about this yet. Huo Chongxiao cast an appealing look toward Bai Mengjin.
Bai Mengjin sighed and said, "Eldest Sister, these are all deductions based on our current clues. As for why Grand-Uncle is doing this, we don't know either; he might have been bewitched by demonic creatures."
Bai Menglian's face turned ashen. She had received instruction from Grand-Uncle in her childhood, so her emotional bond with him was deeper than that of her younger siblings, making it all the harder for her to accept.
"I don't believe it. How could Grand-Uncle do such a thing? Is he going to use the entire Bai Family as his stepping stone?"
"We don't believe it either!" Bai Mengxing shouted. "That's why we came to take a look. If Grand-Uncle is really doing this, we can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"......It's sit by and watch."
Bai Mengjin added fuel to the fire. "Ever since Eldest Sister woke up, haven't you seen Third Uncle and Third Aunt? Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt are missing too. We suspect they might be inside Wuye Cottage."
Hearing this, Bai Menglian's expression grew even uglier, but her gaze turned resolute. "I need to find out the truth. Maybe Grand-Uncle has been possessed by a demonic creature and desperately needs our help."
Bai Mengjin nodded with satisfaction. "If Grand-Uncle is in trouble, of course we will do our utmost to help."
Her emotions calming somewhat, Bai Menglian asked Huo Chongxiao, "What should we do? Can we stop Grand-Uncle from turning into a demon?"
Huo Chongxiao thought for a moment. "Condensing a demonic heart is no easy feat. During the process, he must endure the corrosion of demonic qi. Our opportunity lies right here—we must interrupt him while he is shattering his core!"
Just as he was about to elaborate, the black light shield suddenly shuddered, and a thick tendril of black qi reached out from within, accompanied by a leisurely voice: "Since you've come, why didn't you greet your elder? This is hardly good upbringing."
As the words fell, the black qi coiled around them. Even Huo Chongxiao, who had the highest cultivation, didn't have time to draw his sword before all five of them felt their bodies grow light and soar into the air.
With a flash of darkness followed by light, their bodies slammed heavily onto the ground. By the time they recovered their wits, they were already inside Wuye Cottage.
Bai Mengxing wailed and rubbed his backside, while the others assumed defensive postures, carefully observing their surroundings.
The cottage was brightly lit, and the closer they got to the house, the denser the demonic qi became.
Bai Menglian's pupils suddenly dilated as she caught sight of something, and she cried out, "Father! Mother! Third Sister!"
Following her gaze, the other four saw that around the Yellow Springs Wood, people stood in rings, head-in and back-out, arranged with absolute neatness like rows of wooden puppets.
The scene was intensely bizarre, enough to make one's hair stand on end!
Bai Mengjin raised her head. The Yin-Yang Umbrella, which had originally hung beneath the Yellow Springs Wood, was now suspended high in the air, spinning on its own directly above the tree.
"Father! My father is here too! And Mother!" Bai Mengxing shouted.
"Don't move!" Huo Chongxiao stopped him from getting closer. "Look at the ground."
At these words, the others lowered their gaze and saw that extremely fine grooves had been carved into the earth, with bright red blood slowly flowing through them to form a massive array.
"What is this?" Yue Yunqiao blurted out.
"Blood of blood relatives," Bai Mengjin said softly. "Grand-Uncle is using the entire Bai Family as a sacrifice to help himself master evil arts."
Deeply traumatized, Bai Menglian burst into tears. "Father! Mother! Is there really no saving them?"
Huo Chongxiao, whom she challenged, fell silent. Cruel though it was, this was the reality. Even if a tiny handful could be rescued, their divine souls would be severely damaged, reducing them to fools.
"Grand-Uncle! Why?" Bai Menglian shouted toward the house. "Was the Bai Family not your Bai Family? You are the head of the Bai Family!"
The house remained quiet and silent; no one answered.
Bai Menglian wept all the more bitterly. Unlike Bai Mengjin, she had truly grown up surrounded by the love of her family. To suffer such a blow all at once made her entire world collapse.
Bai Mengxing's eyes were also swimming with tears. For the past fifteen years, he was accustomed to calling out for his father and mother whenever anything happened; he had never imagined a day would come when they would die before his very eyes—and in such a cruel manner.
"What should we do? What are we supposed to do?" he muttered, not knowing whom to ask.
Crisp footsteps sounded.
The youths turned their heads to see Guan Mowen approaching at a leisurely pace, looking scholarly and refined.
"Greetings, young masters and ladies." He raised his hands in a bow, a smile on his face. "The master originally intended to leave a few seeds for the Bai Family, but who could have expected that things wouldn't go as desired, letting you witness such a scene. Even now, the master still bears in mind our bonds of flesh and blood, and wishes to give you young masters and ladies a choice."
He pointed toward Huo Chongxiao and Yue Yunqiao. "These two are disciples of Danxia Palace, with clean divine souls and pure dharma power. If they are used as sacrifices, the master will smoothly pass this ordeal. Afterward, Grand-Uncle remains your Grand-Uncle, and you remain who you are. But if you disregard family affection, the master will have no choice but to..."
Guan Mowen paused, asking with a smile, "How will you choose?"