I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 940 The Problem of Bloodline Depletion
Ji Feihua looked at Zhang Chen with a faint trace of melancholy in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Zhang Chen had gotten married!
After all, Zhang Chen had seen her body clearly and thoroughly. She was planning to cultivate a relationship with Zhang Chen. After all, Zhang Chen had seen her innocent body, so who else could she marry if not Zhang Chen?
But before she could develop feelings for Zhang Chen, Zhang Chen had already gotten engaged to Zhong Xiang, allowing Zhong Xiang to snatch up a huge advantage first.

The two looked at each other, and when Zhang Chen asked about her health, Ji Feihua gave him a sweet smile: "The crisis in my body has been removed, so there is naturally no more threat. I heard you are getting engaged to Zhong Xiang? How did you two get together? You've only known each other for a short time, and you're already getting engaged so hastily? This is a major life event, you should think carefully!"

Ji Feihua's voice carried a strange undertone, which startled Zhang Chen. He looked Ji Feihua up and down with a strange expression. Ji Feihua seemed to sense something was wrong and quickly said, "Don't overthink it. I'm just advising you to think carefully and be cautious as a friend."

“Zhong Xiang and I met back in the North and had some dealings. Zhong Xiang is a young lady from a prominent family. She thinks highly of me and is willing to marry me, so I am naturally very satisfied. There is nothing for me to consider,” Zhang Chen said to Ji Feihua with a smile.

He noticed Ji Feihua's unusual behavior, but he never imagined that Ji Feihua had fallen in love with him. He only thought that Ji Feihua and Zhong Xiang were both geniuses in the academy, and there must be some conflict between them, so he wanted to sow discord between them.

Upon hearing this, Ji Feihua's face showed a hint of disappointment, but she forced a smile and said, "Then I must congratulate you."

After speaking, he lowered his head and looked at his toes without saying a word.

In this era of strict social norms, it was difficult for a woman to remain composed when a man had seen her body.

“Now that your body has recovered, you will soon find your soulmate, so there’s no need to envy me,” Zhang Chen replied.

After exchanging some more meaningless pleasantries, Zhang Chen turned and left, leaving Ji Feihua staring at his retreating figure in silence for a long time.

As Zhang Chen's figure disappeared, Ji Feihua slowly clenched her fists inside her sleeves, her small fists turning white, and a look of embarrassment appeared in her eyes: "From childhood to adulthood, I, Ji Feihua, have never failed to get anything I wanted!"

It's a pity she suffered a major setback this time; the person she likes is getting married. What can she do? She's helpless!
When it comes to matters of the heart, it's not something one person can achieve alone.

Zhang Chen returned to the academy to continue his cultivation, while waiting for the academy to collect materials to repair the feng shui array. These materials, which could repair the feng shui array, were rare treasures of heaven and earth, and could not be gathered in a short time.

Another half month passed while we waited.

Zhangjia
Zhang Shenqi and Zhang Gaqi, along with other pillars of the younger generation, gathered with more than a dozen respected elders in the ancestral hall. They stood silently beneath the ancestral tablets, creating a solemn atmosphere throughout the hall.

"What about the casualties?" Zhang Shenqi asked after offering incense to his ancestors.

Upon hearing the question, Zhang Gaqi smiled bitterly and said, "The casualties are heavy. More than 100,000 collateral descendants with bloodline power have died. We have lost the clan's protective artifact and are at a disadvantage when fighting against the Gong family. If it weren't for our ancestor passing on his power to countless people in the Zhang family, I'm afraid we would be powerless against the Gong family's wind bag."

"It's only because we have the help of the other six families, who are secretly restraining the Gong family's divine artifact; otherwise, we would be in even greater trouble," Zhang Gaqi said. "We have the support of the other six families, but the Gong family has the support of the Great Victory Royal Family. Now, our two sides are evenly matched and locked in a war of attrition. However, our Zhang family has lost the Book of Life and Death, so our family members cannot awaken their bloodlines. As those who have already awakened their bloodlines die, there are fewer and fewer of them. If we continue this war of attrition, the Zhang family will be wiped out within ten years. On the other hand, the Gong family can continuously awaken their bloodline power, and their family members are endless. We cannot outlast the Gong family."

"What if we could achieve our goal in one fell swoop and completely take down the Gong family?" Zhang Shenqi asked.

Zhang Gaqi shook his head and rejected Zhang Shenqi's decision: "That's impossible! The Gong family isn't stupid. They will never give up their advantage of having an unbroken bloodline to fight us in a final battle. As long as we drag this out, the Zhang family will be worn down sooner or later, and the Gong family can achieve the final victory."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shenqi's expression grew even more grim, and his eyes swept over the elders: "Grandpas, do you have any ideas on how to break this deadlock?"

"The only way to break this deadlock is to retrieve the Book of Life and Death, but now that we've broken ties with the Gong family, how can they possibly return it to us?" an elder said.

Hearing the elder's words, Zhang Shenqi and the others looked even more grim. At this moment, an elder from the Zhang family said, "Although the seven families have joined forces to besiege the Gong family, with the support of the Great Victory Royal Family, it is almost impossible for us to completely annihilate the Gong family. Apart from the Zhang family, the other six families are extremely wary of the Great Victory Royal Family and dare not exert their full strength. They are just making noise from the sidelines, relying entirely on the Zhang family to be the main force in annihilating the Gong family. If this continues, I'm afraid we will be worn down to death. Our only way now may be to use the move of the King of Pingbian. If we can use the move of the King of Pingbian, we may still have a chance to turn the whole game around."

“The King of Pingbian has long since lost control. He only wants to kill Zhang Chen; revenge is his only hope for survival. Unless we bind Zhang Chen and send him to the King of Pingbian, he won't heed our orders at all,” Zhang Shenqi shook his head, rejecting the elder's words. “Then let's bind Zhang Chen and send him to the King of Pingbian, in exchange for the King of Pingbian rebelling in the north, diverting the Great Sheng Dynasty's attention and giving us a chance to deal with Zhang Chen,” Second Uncle said publicly.

"Sacrificing one person to benefit the entire family is a sacrifice that all members of the Zhang family must bear."

“Zhang Chen is not the kind of person who will be manipulated by us, and he will not sacrifice himself for the so-called family. He has absolutely no sense of honor towards the family. It is absolutely impossible for him to surrender and commit suicide in front of the King of Pingbian.” Zhang Shenqi shook his head: “Besides, the royal family of Dasheng will not agree to it either.”

"We have to give it a try, otherwise the only thing waiting for the Zhang family is destruction," the second uncle said.

"No! Zhang Chen is my elder brother's eldest son, we can't sacrifice him! My great Zhang family, are we going to place our hopes on a child? Let's think of another way. I won't agree to sacrificing Zhang Chen to make the Pingbian Prince's Mansion rebel and restrain the Dasheng Royal Family!" Zhang Gaqi immediately objected, his voice filled with anger.

"This is the most effective, convenient, and direct method. We can't afford to delay any longer!" Zhang Shenqi interrupted Zhang Gaqi, and at the same time, he gave a wink to one of his uncles. The next moment, the uncle struck out with lightning speed, hitting Zhang Gaqi directly in the back and knocking him unconscious.

"Imprison him first, lest he ruin our plans," Zhang Shenqi said, looking at Zhang Gaqi.

A trusted aide stepped forward, tied up Zhang Gaqi, and dragged him out of the ancestral hall. Only then did Zhang Shenqi look at his second uncle and say, "Now we should think of a way to force Zhang Chen to submit. Zhang Chen is a very selfish person and is definitely not someone who would sacrifice himself for others."

"Find an excuse to lure him out, then we'll send martial arts experts to tie him up and send him to the North to be handed over to the King of Pingbian," the second uncle said.

"I've heard that Zhang Chen's martial arts skills are not bad..." Zhang Shenqi hesitated.

"He may be skilled in martial arts, but are all the members of the Zhang family good-for-nothings? There are quite a few skilled martial artists in our clan. If we all join forces, can't we take down a mere brat?" Second Uncle said dismissively.

How high can a fifteen-year-old child's martial arts skills go, no matter how high?

Even if one has been practicing martial arts since birth, it is quite remarkable that one has been able to break through the Qi and Blood barrier to this day. The average Qi and Blood level of the Zhang family's direct descendants is high, and there are many who have even surpassed it. Since the advent of martial arts, its cultivation methods have become the mainstream of major families and are the supreme method that every disciple must cultivate.

"Think of a way to lure him back. Once he steps into the Zhang family's old residence, he won't be able to control anything anymore," the second uncle said with a cold smile.

“That kid is as slippery as a devil. Even the King of Pingbian suffered a defeat at his hands. It won’t be easy to fool him,” Zhang Shenqi said.

“I have an idea. How about we use the excuse that you’ve made a big mistake and decided to remove you from your position as head of the family to lure him back?” The second uncle’s eyes revealed a cold glint: “Give him a glimmer of hope to inherit the Zhang family’s position. Then we won’t be afraid that this kid won’t take the bait.”

"Alright! Let's do it that way! But we still need to find a reliable person to deliver the message, someone that the kid will easily believe," Zhang Shenqi said.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chen was standing on a mountaintop in the academy, his eyes gazing into the void, pondering the final stage of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"The final cycle of the Six Paths of Reincarnation is within the academy, but if I were to claim it, I don't know how much commotion it would cause. If the experts from the Great Victory Royal Family were to make a move, I would face numerous troubles. Moreover, I don't know if any god-level powerhouses are suppressed within those Six Paths of Reincarnation. If they were to emerge and force me to break through, I would suffer a greater loss than gain." Zhang Chen quickly considered his options.

"Ideally, I should find someone to open that void for me. Countless geniuses gather within the academy, and there are quite a few who meet this requirement. However, I don't want to implicate innocent people, so I need to choose someone who has a grudge against me..."

Countless thoughts raced through Zhang Chen's mind, but the image in his mind finally settled on three faces: Zhang Gaoqiu, Chai Wenji, and Chai Wenxin. Chai Wenji and Zhang Gaoqiu, needless to say, had a deep-seated hatred for him, and Chai Wenxin was even more hateful because he coveted his wife.

(End of this chapter)