With Mo Yuanhai’s solemn assurances, Patriarch Feng had been utterly convinced.

Later, the family’s own Artifact Refiners had confirmed it: it was impossible for them to refine such a Lower Grade Magical Artifact, let alone an Upper Grade one.

Therefore, in Patriarch Feng’s mind, it was impossible for a Spirit Refiner to possess a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact like this.

This was no longer a matter of mere carelessness.

After Patriarch Feng was bound, streaks of white lightning descended upon him.

Cangyun Thunder Skill!

’This Spiritual Artifact Junior Brother Fang crafted is truly incredible.’

Bai Qinying thought to herself as she unleashed her attacks.

At the early Foundation Establishment Stage, she could perfectly control a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact and unleash its maximum power, but she couldn’t do the same with a Middle Grade one.

Although her Demon-Binding Rope was only a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact, against a Demon, it was as effective as a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact.

It consumed the Spiritual Power of a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact but unleashed the might of a Middle Grade one.

Only now did Bai Qinying truly appreciate the power of this kind of Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Before this, even if she had wanted to, she’d had no one to test it on.

Her Divine Sense was already attached to the Demon-Binding Rope, and a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact naturally consumed less Divine Sense than a Middle Grade one.

This was a level of consumption she could easily sustain. If the Demon-Binding Rope had been a normal Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, she wouldn’t have been able to perfectly execute her Cangyun Thunder Skill while controlling it.

Low consumption and high power in Magical and Spiritual Artifacts had always been the ultimate goal for Artifact Refiners.

Fang Yun, with his unconventional refining techniques, had achieved this more perfectly than anyone.

Despite using every trick he knew, Patriarch Feng still couldn’t break free from the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Demon-Binding Rope. He could only endure being struck by one bolt of white lightning after another.

Under these circumstances, since escape was impossible, he decided to send a message back to his family.

The Spirit Refiners hadn’t just crafted Upper Grade Magical Artifacts to counter them; they now possessed Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts. This completely contradicted Mo Yuanhai’s claims.

With this information, the Feng Family could obtain a handsome reward from the Celestial Demon Sect.

"Trying to send a message? Dream on!"

Noticing his attempt, Bai Qinying tightened the Demon-Binding Rope, instantly cutting off Patriarch Feng’s transmission.

"You..."

He only managed to utter a single word before his struggles grew feebler. His life force faded until his body was charred black, with faint arcs of lightning still crackling over it.

"Finally, it’s over. Killing a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Demon really isn’t easy."

Bai Qinying looked at the dead Demon as she retracted the Demon-Binding Rope. Gazing at the artifact in her hand, she thought, ’At least half the credit for eliminating this Demon belongs to Junior Brother Fang.’

This Demon-Binding Rope is just too good!

She could tell Fang Yun all about how it performed in actual combat.

With this information, he might be able to refine an even better Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact of this kind.

...

「Celestial Demon Sect Territory.」

In a room at the heart of the Feng Family’s ancestral grounds, three Demon Jars were displayed.

Suddenly, the middle Demon Jar shattered, startling the Feng Family Demon standing guard.

"This is bad! The Patriarch has fallen!"

The Feng Family Demon was stunned and rushed to report the news.

Elsewhere in the core of the Feng Family’s ancestral grounds, three Foundation Establishment Demons were seated in a large hall.

They were Elder Mo Yuanhai of the Celestial Demon Sect and the Feng Family’s other two Foundation Establishment Demons.

The Feng Family had three Foundation Establishment Demons in total. Aside from Patriarch Feng, who was at the mid-stage, the other two were at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

As the three Foundation Establishment Demons were conversing, the Feng Family Demon who guarded the Demon Jars burst in.

"This is terrible!"

"What is it? Speak quickly."

Of the two early-stage Foundation Establishment Demons from the Feng Family—one man and one woman—it was the male Demon who spoke.

"The Patriarch’s Demon Jar... it shattered..."

"What!"

The Feng Family Demons’ eyes widened, as if unwilling to accept the fact. Upon hearing the news, Celestial Demon Sect Elder Mo Yuanhai simply frowned.

This was terrible news for Mo Yuanhai as well.

The sect had dispatched him to oversee some of the Feng Family’s affairs, which was an indirect way of putting him in charge of the family during the war against the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Under these circumstances, the Feng Family’s strength was a reflection of his own.

The shattering of Patriarch Feng’s Demon Jar, signaling his death, naturally meant Mo Yuanhai’s own power had been diminished.

Furthermore, he was supposed to use the Feng Family’s power to investigate the deaths of the Stone Demon Sect’s Sect Leader and Vice Sect Leader. Who could have possibly dealt with them?

On this matter, he was competing with another Celestial Demon Sect Elder, Di Shanhai, with whom he had always had a poor relationship.

Di Shanhai had been assigned to Iron Tiger Manor.

Iron Tiger Manor was inherently stronger than the Feng Family. Now, with Patriarch Feng dead, Mo Yuanhai was at an even greater disadvantage.

"What exactly happened to your patriarch?" Mo Yuanhai asked the remaining Feng Family Foundation Establishment Demons after the messenger withdrew.

"The Patriarch went to the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory to lie in wait for a Foundation Establishment Spirit Refiner. He wanted to try his luck and see if he could ambush one..."

The Feng Family’s Female Demon explained.

The Patriarch wanted to try his luck, but judging by the outcome, his luck was clearly as bad as it could get.

After hearing the explanation, Mo Yuanhai fell silent, not saying a word.

Although the outcome was bad, there was nothing wrong with the Patriarch’s logic. If he had actually managed to ambush a Foundation Establishment Spirit Refiner—especially one from the Celestial Cloud Sect—it would have been a major accomplishment.

The Celestial Demon Sect would have rewarded Patriarch Feng handsomely.

"The Patriarch’s concealment techniques were excellent," the male Foundation Establishment Demon from the Feng Family began his analysis. "Even a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Spirit Refiner would have been unable to detect him while he was hidden."

"For an ambush, he would have remained in one spot. In that state, by not using even a trace of Demon Power, it would be even more difficult for a Spirit Refiner to discover him."