"Impossible~ Impossible~ Absolutely impossible!
We~ we will definitely inform Boss Yang at the first opportunity.
After all, a boss as good as Boss Yang is truly a once-in-ten-thousand-year occurrence."
Hearing Yang Hong's question, Old Man Liu immediately jumped up and swore oaths.
Seeing his demeanor, Yang Hong knew the old man was being dishonest, intending to let Yang Hong's well be flooded.
This way, they could dig another well for Yang Hong, then bargain for more water, or even secure a daily ration.
However, despite his cunning plans, upon seeing Yang Hong casually reveal sixteen first-tier magical artifact clothes, he had to reassess Yang Hong's strength and abandon his initial intentions.
He then turned to curry favor with Yang Hong, deciding to cling to him even if he couldn't gain extra water.
He was now certain that Yang Hong's family was no ordinary rogue cultivators, but likely disciples on an experiential journey.
And those who dared to embark on such a journey with seven wives must be from no ordinary sect, nor were they ordinary disciples.
Having lived for over a hundred years, Old Man Liu possessed such wisdom.
"Heh heh~ I'll trust you for now.
You two go back and prepare. I also need to seal the well and adjust the plantation."
Yang Hong dismissed Old Man Liu and Chen Xiaohu, deliberately using the word "seal."
He believed this single word would be enough to intimidate the two.
Indeed, upon hearing Yang Hong's use of the word "seal," Old Man Liu lowered his head, his expression changing rapidly—from joy to sorrow, then to fear, his emotions a chaotic mix.
Chen Xiaohu, meanwhile, looked at Yang Hong with envy and carefully bid farewell.
"Husband, why don't we just abandon the well? At most, we can dig a new one after the Black Despair passes."
After Chen Xiaohu and the other man left, Zhu Yuyan and the others emerged from the inner chambers.
"No need. This matter is quite simple; we can just freeze the well with ice-elemental spells. You just wait for me."
Yang Hong shook his head, unconcerned by Zhu Yuyan's suggestion.
Why bother with trouble when a spell could solve the problem?
He directly used earth遁 (earth evasion) to enter the underground river and seal the inlet of the Ferris valve. Then, emerging from the well, he began casting 【Extreme Cold Freeze】 by the well's edge.
*Crackling... Crackling...*
A stream of white mist shot from Yang Hong's fingertips into the water, and the well began to freeze at a visible rate.
Although Yang Hong was still in a sealed state, his true combat power was not inferior to that of an ordinary sixth-tier Nascent Soul cultivator. Freezing a two-hundred-zhang deep well was a simple task.
After freezing the well, Yang Hong also temporarily deactivated the array protecting it.
The array normally protecting the well could easily malfunction under the influence of the massive sandstorm, potentially becoming a deadly time bomb.
Finally, there was the newly planted farmland. The underground array was fine, but the surface plants were another matter.
"It's a shame these planted crops will be wasted. Fortunately, they were just Hai Ting Feng. I still have plenty of seeds."
With the basic issues confirmed to be resolved, Yang Hong headed home.
"Huh~ You're back?"
Upon returning home, Yang Hong encountered someone both unexpected and yet, in hindsight, entirely predictable—
Mu Xiuhui had returned.
"Master, Xiuhui is back to report."
Seeing Yang Hong, Mu Xiuhui was also excited and immediately ran over, hugging his arm.
Yang Hong was happy to see her return as well. He gently stroked her hair and said,
"Heh heh~ Judging by your happy expression, you must have had quite an enjoyable year."
"Hee hee~ It was alright. After Master's qi-infusion, this servant's cultivation reached the late stage of the seventh-tier Integration realm. In the Purple Kun Mountain Range, I was basically unrivaled and quite safe.
I also diligently completed the task Master assigned me."
"Oh, Master, let's leave the Lihuo Desert quickly, and depart directly from the Western Mang region of the Purple Kun Mountain Range."
Mu Xiuhui suddenly remembered the important matter, stood up straight, grabbed Yang Hong, and prepared to leave.
Yang Hong gently pulled her back, stopping her in place, and asked curiously, "Why do we need to leave?"
"Master must already know that the Black Despair is about to erupt, but Master surely doesn't know why it's called Black Despair.
It's because when the true Black Despair erupts, all life in the Western Mang region of the Purple Kun Mountain Range will be torn to shreds by the terrifying sandstorm. Even if one hides a thousand zhang underground, the violent spiritual energy surge during the sandstorm's passage will infiltrate, causing qi deviation, and then the subterranean pressure will crush them into meat paste."
"In short, when the Black Despair erupts, all that remains for sentient beings is the deepest and most primal despair."
*Hiss~*
Hearing Mu Xiuhui's words, Yang Hong was also startled. He hadn't expected the Black Despair to have such an origin, but he still had many questions.
"Then, how often does the true Black Despair erupt? Why are you certain this is it? And what is its power level?"
"Master, this eruption is definitively the true Black Despair. I learned this from a vine demon with millions of years of cultivation.
The Black Despair erupts approximately every three thousand years. The last eruption was over 3200 years ago, and the longer the interval, the stronger the eruption.
Ordinary Black Despairs have a destructive power of eighth-tier or above. This eruption has been 3200 years in the making, so its power will undoubtedly reach ninth-tier. If we don't leave now, we might all die."
*Hiss~*
Yang Hong gasped again. He himself had killed many ninth-tier Buddhist cultivators and knew their destructive power. Moreover, a ninth-tier attack formed by nature would be absolutely ceaseless.
In short, even immortals would perish.
"Wait a moment, I'll make some arrangements, and then we'll leave.
Yuyan, go inform Chen Xiaohu that even though this Black Despair will be very dangerous, our house is still available for their shelter.
You don't need to tell them the truth."
"Husband, don't worry. I know. We'll leave them a glimmer of hope for survival."
"Mmm~ Lizhi, Xiuhui, you two come with me to the basement beneath the house to make some further arrangements."
"Okay."
Yang Hong opened the floor in the living room, revealing a winding passage leading downward. As a cautious individual, how could Yang Hong not have prepared underground space?
Descending a hundred zhang underground, upon reaching the bottom, Yang Hong directly activated the sixth-tier secret technique 【Nine Bends Throughways】. A passage only three zhang wide was quickly formed through the corrosive effect of his magic power, extending deeper.
After descending another hundred zhang, he stopped and dispersed his magic power, forming a hundred-zhang wide and ten-zhang high basement.
At this point, the door to the house on the ground level was pushed open.
"Are Chen Xiaohu and his people that easy to deal with?"
Yang Hong frowned and muttered, surprised that Zhu Yuyan had brought them over so quickly.
Since they were here, he would cease the spell reinforcement and array deployment.
"Boss Yang~ You're really not being decent. You discovered ruins and didn't tell us earlier, keeping it all to yourself. Truly heartless!"
The moment he saw Yang Hong, Old Man Liu pointed at Yang Hong's nose and cursed.
"Uh~ You're really courting death!"
Yang Hong slapped him directly.
*Slap~*
Old Man Liu's head exploded like a watermelon, splattering red and white all over the adjacent wall, painting a horrifying picture.
Looking at the headless corpse, Yang Hong knew that Zhu Yuyan must have used a lie to lure the villagers here. However, Old Man Liu seemed to have forgotten that even if Yang Hong concealed his cultivation, he was still not someone a mere fourth-tier Qi Refining old man could insult.
Chen Xiaohu, who had followed them down, his burly body trembling like a sieve, sweat drenching his clothes.
"Chen Xiaohu, this [ruin] is yours now. Goodbye."
With that, Yang Hong, accompanied by his wives, walked out of the house and left Chishi Village directly.
Fate is truly wondrous. Just a few hours ago, they were like a loving family, but in the blink of an eye, they had become strangers.
As for whether they would ever meet again, it was truly uncertain.