Chapter 247: Shedding the Skin

The surrounding members of the Chen family couldn’t withstand the shockwave from the previous collision.

Up in the loft, Chen Wang suddenly stood up, eyes fixed on the direction of the ancestral grounds.

The Ancestor… hadn’t intervened!

Chen Wang furrowed his brows. Was this a show of confidence in Chen Fei—or simply indifference?

His original intent in allowing Chen Tian to act was to gauge the Ancestor’s stance. But now that there had been no response at all, Chen Wang found himself unsure of what to do.

Back at the main square—

No, it could hardly be called a square anymore. It had become a giant crater.

Not even during demonic cultivator attacks had the Chen family seen such destruction.

At the center of the pit, the area around Chen Fei remained intact. In front of him, Chen Tian had reverted to his normal size—

—but his arm was completely gone.

A look of dazed confusion flickered across Chen Tian’s face.

“How… did you do that…?”

Chen Fei flicked his wrist, sheathing his heavy, blunt-edged sword across his back. He paid Chen Tian no further attention and turned his gaze toward the distance.

“Chen Xingyu, are you not going to come out?”

“Impudence!”

Chen Tian’s face contorted as he roared.

Many of the Chen family members frowned at Chen Fei’s direct use of Chen Xingyu’s name.

After all, Chen Xingyu was his uncle by title.

“To think that Chen Xingjia’s descendants are still alive…”

A calm chuckle echoed.

A figure slowly walked out from the ruins—Chen Xingyu, who hadn’t been seen in thirty years.

Chen Fei locked eyes with him—and immediately, his heart sank.

This man… was not right.

As expected from Chen Tian’s father, the two looked almost identical. But there was something eerie about Chen Xingyu—a strange softness in his expression. Hands clasped behind his back, he approached with a smile.

“Father!”

Chen Tian immediately lowered his head, shame written all over his face.

“It’s fine,” Chen Xingyu waved his hand before turning toward Chen Fei. “The old man… he’s truly remarkable.”

Chen Fei stood stiffly, his entire being on edge.

This pressure… it all came from Chen Xingyu.

Though he looked friendly and mild, there was no anger in his face—yet every cell in Chen Fei’s body screamed at him to flee.

Seeing Chen Fei’s obvious tension, Chen Xingyu chuckled.

“No need to be so nervous. As your uncle, I wouldn’t actually attack you.”

But the moment he spoke, a powerful surge of force erupted beneath Chen Fei’s feet.

Without hesitation, Chen Fei leapt into the air.

Run?

No. That wasn’t an option.

Mid-air, he gripped his massive sword and swung down toward Chen Xingyu.

“Impudent!”

“Chen Fei, stop!”

Only now did the rest of the spectators react. They shouted in alarm.

A golden pattern shimmered on Chen Fei’s forehead—the Chen family bloodline awakened!

As Chen Xingyu saw the golden pattern clearly, he froze.

The entire audience’s eyes widened in shock.

In the loft, Chen Wang gasped aloud.

“Ancestor bloodline… no wonder. No wonder!”

He repeated it twice, finally understanding why the Ancestor had passed on the patriarch’s position to Chen Fei.

The awakening of the ancestral bloodline—to the Chen family, this meant everything.

“This is bad!”

Chen Wang quickly realized the severity of the situation.

“Stop Chen Fei immediately!”

“Chen Xingyu is not allowed to make a move!”

Chen Wang shattered the loft’s window and flew out without hesitation.

The ancestral bloodline was the immortal bloodline passed down from the ancient era.

Over generations, the Chen family’s bloodline had weakened. Even with powerful spirits, none of it compared to true lineage.

But now—here it was.

Chen Xingyu’s eyes flickered with a sinister light.

“So that’s how it is… I searched high and low, and now it just falls into my lap.”

He licked his lips, an almost crazed excitement lighting up his face as he looked at Chen Fei approaching.

“Father, watch out!”

Chen Tian shouted in panic. Then he turned toward Chen Fei, fury in his voice.

“Chen Fei, you ungrateful bastard! Stop! My father was injured protecting Chen Xingjia back then! He’s been in seclusion healing ever since! You can’t do this!”

But just as he said that—

Chen Xingyu’s skin began to peel.

An entire layer of human skin slid off.

Beneath it emerged a being of flesh-grown bone, with eyes burning with soul fire.

“Father! You—!”

Chen Tian stared, stunned.

The entire Chen family went rigid in shock—then panic exploded.

“Demonic cultivator?! Damn it! Who are you?!”

“Chen Fei, fall back now!”

Chen Wang shouted, finally close enough to intervene.

But the fake Chen Xingyu—the demonic cultivator—grinned wide.

“Want to escape now? Too late.”

“Such fresh, rich life force… if I devour you, I can truly regain my strength!”

Chen Fei, unfazed by the bloody figure before him, showed no panic.

His massive sword didn’t even hesitate as it cleaved down toward the creature’s head.

“So many years… I’ve waited so long…”

The soul fire in the demonic cultivator’s eyes flickered.

“Remember my name—Xuan Ming.”

He extended a single finger and touched the very edge of Chen Fei’s sword.

Chen Fei pushed down with both hands, pouring his spiritual energy like a raging tide into the weapon.

But no matter how much power he used—the sword wouldn’t budge.

“Let go!”

Chen Wang finally arrived—but Xuan Ming didn’t even glance at him.

He waved his hand casually—

—and a shockwave sent Chen Wang flying like a ragdoll, his body crashing into a distant building.

A black blur followed him, slamming him deeper into the rubble.

A sigh echoed from above.

“I suspected someone was probing the ancestral grounds back then. So it was you…”

Chen Wansheng’s voice.

A withered hand materialized in the air before Xuan Ming.

But the demonic cultivator was unafraid—clearly, he had predicted this would happen.

“You’ve done well. To make it this far under such conditions… not bad.”

Xuan Ming looked at the hand.

“But unfortunately, your path ends here.”

With a single step forward—

Xuan Ming shattered Chen Wansheng’s summoned hand.

“You see now where your limitations lie?”

Most of the audience didn’t understand what he meant—but Chen Fei did.

Chen Wansheng had broken through to the Heavenly Dao Realm within a secret realm.

While successful, the cost was that his power was now sealed within the ancestral grounds.

That’s why he once said he was invincible within this land—and only within it.

Today’s events proved that theory right.

“So in the end… I can only rely on myself.”

Chen Fei didn’t panic. He looked at Xuan Ming calmly.

This creature was clearly still recovering from severe injuries.

If he thought Chen Fei would surrender just because of his name—he was mistaken.

Forming a seal with one hand—

Yin-Yang Dual Movement Seal: Fire Aspect, activate!

A familiar heat surged through him.

He stamped the seal onto his giant sword.

Flames burst forth.

Xuan Ming’s expression finally shifted into one of surprise.