Under the starry night.
Xi Daoyun stood alone at the bow of the largest magic skiff.
Oppressive pressure permeated the air around him. No one from the Xi Family dared to approach and risk catching his bad luck.
Yu Qi walked to his side and sighed, "That Xu Chuan is truly remarkable. Leveraging strength against strength, he forced you to compromise, Daoist Friend."
"The general trend dictated it. Even if a fight broke out, they would only side with the Xu Family. The situation for my Xi Family was already irreversible."
Xi Daoyun paused and said, "It's just that I didn't expect him to come so suddenly!"
"He caught my Xi Family completely off guard!"
"All of our many schemes have turned into nothing but bubbles."
Yu Qi looked at his face, finding him surprisingly calm.
"Are you trying to say my Xi Family might have a mole from the Xu Family, Daoist Friend Yu?" Xi Daoyun shook his head. "No, I'm more inclined to believe his meticulousness simply exceeded my expectations."
"Do you think he is waiting for me to go over right now?"
"Surely not?" Yu Qi frowned. "If your Xi Family hadn't been forced to leave, he might have guessed that you'd seek trouble with them due to your waning lifespan.
After all, there is no shortage of people who go mad when their time limit approaches.
But since you've already been forced to leave, I feel that the Xu Family is currently riding high on their success.
With the final obstacle cleared, all that remains for them is to reorganize Heavenly Azure Prefecture and win over the hearts of the people."
"I don't think so. Instead, I have a feeling that he might be waiting for me to go over," Xi Daoyun replied.
"With his mind, it wouldn't be hard for him to guess my desire to kill him. Now, although my Xi Family has lost a massive amount of resources, our core elites have been preserved.
This is exactly the time when I have nothing left to lose and nothing to hold me back."
"I want to kill him, and he also wants to kill me."
"Just like the imperial succession in a mortal dynasty, what could strike more fear into the court officials than beheading the emperor? I am that emperor, and the various aristocratic families of Heavenly Azure Prefecture are the officials.
The Xu Family is the usurper seizing the throne!"
"If I die, even if the Xi Family returns, there will be no possibility of us ever controlling Heavenly Azure Prefecture again. It will signify the true final curtain for my Xi Family in Heavenly Azure Prefecture."
Pausing for a moment, Xi Daoyun smiled faintly. "Daoist Friend Yu, you should also understand just how terrifying a Nascent Soul cultivator is when their lifespan is nearing its end and they have absolutely no scruples."
"Indeed. Even my Spirit Taming Sect wouldn't dare lightly provoke such a madman."
Yu Qi nodded slightly.
"He dragged my Xi Family down from our high horse, seized our resources, and forced us away. So, I will also make his Cloudstream City suffer devastating casualties and make his Xu Family pay a heavy price!
I will let him taste the same situation my Xi Family has endured these past few years, constantly fearing a pack of wolves devouring the tiger!"
"Forget it. I can't persuade you."
"When the time comes, I invite Daoist Friend Yu to watch the battle. Regardless of victory or defeat, I will undoubtedly die. If you don't collect my corpse, I'm afraid everything I leave behind will just benefit the Xu Family."
"Alright," Yu Qi agreed.
Three days later.
The Xi Family's procession arrived near Grand Harmony Lake.
They halted their advance there.
Xi Daoyun called True Lord Green Wood to his room and said calmly, "Muran, as the First Elder of my Xi Family, you must shoulder the heavy burden of the Xi Family in the future."
"Muran understands."
"The Xi Family from now on belongs to your era. I'm afraid I won't be able to walk alongside you any further."
"Ancestor, you..."
"This jade talisman can contact Yu Qi directly. He promised me he would take action for the Xi Family three times, but don't place blind trust in him either.
Human strength has its limits, and there are many things even the Nascent Soul stage is powerless against.
As for whether our Xi Family can rise again, everything will depend on ourselves.
However, even if you step into the Nascent Soul stage one day, do not return to Heavenly Azure Prefecture.
You cannot win against the Xu Family.
But to be fair, you can learn from his methods and schemes.
Keep a low profile, endure patiently, and unless you have absolute certainty, do not easily bare your fangs."
"Muran understands," True Lord Green Wood replied, his heart heavy.
"Wait a moment. Come with me and Yu Qi for a trip."
"Where is Ancestor going?"
"Cloudstream City!"
True Lord Green Wood was startled upon hearing this, but then he felt a sense of relief.
With the Ancestor arranging the many affairs of the Xi Family, he must have originally planned to cast aside all restraints and cause an uproar in Cloudstream City.
Since he already harbored the will to die, Cloudstream City would be his best and final stage!
"I don't know what will happen on this trip. Perhaps I can wreak havoc, perhaps I can heavily injure that transformed flood dragon and kill Xu Chuan, or perhaps I'll achieve absolutely nothing.
But no matter what, that is the funeral I have prepared for myself!
After I die, the magic treasures and storage pouches I leave behind will all go to Yu Qi; this is part of our trade. As for my corpse, take me back to that small mountain village."
Xi Daoyun informed him of the location and continued, "I was born in Heavenly Azure Prefecture and made my name in Heavenly Azure Prefecture. After I die, I want to rest here eternally, so I won't be leaving with you.
The new era belongs to you.
What kind of path you can carve out for our Xi Family in the future is entirely up to you.
Learn from your mistakes and gain wisdom.
For a family to be strong, disciplining its members is especially important. If anyone causes trouble, kill them if you must. Do not let your heart soften.
It is only now, at this final moment, that I realize I have been far too negligent in managing the family.
That is what led my Xi Family to become enemies with everyone in this Heavenly Azure Prefecture."
"Ancestor, Muran understands. I will definitely not disappoint Ancestor's expectations!"
True Lord Green Wood knelt down and deeply kowtowed to him.
"Stand up. Follow me outside."
The two of them exited the room, and Xi Daoyun also sent a sound transmission to Yu Qi.
Seeing True Lord Green Wood, Yu Qi asked in surprise, "This is..."
"He is also going to watch the battle and handle my affairs after I pass," Xi Daoyun replied via sound transmission.
Yu Qi said no more.
Afterward, he wrapped the two of them in his mana and executed an evasion divine ability, rushing toward Cloudstream City.
In just over two hours, they arrived outside the east gate of Cloudstream City.
Unlike its usual hustle and bustle.
Today, the east gate appeared exceptionally empty and silent, as if it had been deliberately cleared out.
High above the city gate, Xu Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
Beside him stood the burly Moyue, whose aura was as heavy as a mountain; Xu Mingxian, exuding an ethereal temperament in a moon-white robe; and Xu Deling, looking magnificently elegant in a red dress.
Yu Qi and True Lord Green Wood did not approach. Instead, they watched from the distant mountains.
Xi Daoyun flew to the outside of the grand array at the city gate.
He faced off against Xu Chuan's group of four in mid-air.
"You really did guess that I was coming."
"A grand funeral without pallbearers—wouldn't that be rather dull?" Xu Chuan replied flatly.
The next moment.
A terrifying, sharp gaze erupted from Xi Daoyun's eyes, and an aura of absolute resolve shot up into the sky!
He activated a secret method without hesitation, seemingly igniting his very lifespan.
In that instant, his dried-up meridians were flooded with surging mana. His declining aura spiked abruptly, forcefully recovering to its peak state in just a few short breaths!
He flipped his palm, and a brilliantly golden, slender flying sword appeared in his grasp.
It was precisely his natal high-grade magic treasure, the "Geng Metal" flying sword!
The blade hummed, connected to its master's will, radiating an indestructible, razor-sharp edge.
"Slash!"
Xi Daoyun gave a fierce shout. Without any flashy movements, he swung his sword and slashed toward Cloudstream City's city protection grand array!
A dazzling golden sword aura over three hundred meters long suddenly materialized. Condensed as if it were solid, it tore through the air, carrying his lifelong comprehension of the Sword Dao and boundless mana, and viciously hacked against the five-colored array screen!
"BOOM——!!!"
A heaven-shaking explosion rang out!
The instant the sword aura made contact with the array screen, blinding light and a violent tempest of spirit power erupted!
The city protection grand array trembled, rippling like waves on water, but in the blink of an eye, the light screen calmed down once more.
"What a powerful attack!"
"As expected of a Sword Cultivator!"
Moyue's crimson-gold vertical pupils slightly contracted as he rumbled, "The might of his sword strike is absolutely not inferior to Qi Tianxiong's back then!
No wonder the two prefectures have remained peaceful all these years.
I reckon it's because neither side could do anything to the other."
Xi Daoyun's full-strength blow was enough to severely injure someone who had just entered the Nascent Soul stage, like Mo Wentian, yet it only caused a ripple across the grand array.
"This grand array..."
"He really did come prepared!"
Xi Daoyun looked at Xu Chuan, the madness in his eyes intensifying.
The "Geng Metal" flying sword in his hand transformed into a sky full of golden phantoms.
In a split second, thousands of peerlessly fierce sword lights, like a violent storm or a descending galaxy, continuously bombarded the exact same area of the city protection grand array!
Sword light rained down and sword energy ran rampant, dyeing that stretch of the sky a brilliant gold!
The sounds of explosions merged into a deafening roar. The shockwaves plowed deep trenches into the ground outside the city, sending dust billowing into the sky.
However, after a few minutes passed, even though the five-colored array screen rippled endlessly, not a single crack appeared!
True Lord Green Wood watched in shock. "How is this possible? Not even Ancestor's peak attacks could carve out a single crack. Could this be a fourth-tier grand array?"
"No." Yu Qi had a more discerning eye. He focused his gaze and said, "If it were a fourth-tier array, the fluctuations wouldn't be this violent. It should be a half-step fourth-tier grand array.
I heard that in the Northwest Region, there aren't many people skilled in the Array Dao. I didn't expect your Heavenly Azure Prefecture to actually have a half-step fourth-tier array master.
With such attainments, someone like this will step into the fourth tier sooner or later."
"Half-step fourth-tier?" True Lord Green Wood muttered. Just who laid down this formation?
Could it be that Xu Mingxian?
But how old was he? Having just stepped into the Golden Core stage, was it really possible for him to elevate his Array Dao to such a degree?
Xu Chuan, Xu Deling, and now a Xu Mingxian...
It seemed the Ancestor was absolutely right. The future Heavenly Azure Prefecture would no longer belong to the Xi Family.
Even if the Xi Family produced another Nascent Soul cultivator and returned to Heavenly Azure Prefecture, they wouldn't be a match for the Xu Family.
If they could reach this stage in just a few decades, what heights would the Xu Family reach in a few centuries?
Xi Daoyun finally stopped. Leaning on his sword, he stood in mid-air, panting slightly, the madness in his eyes fading just a bit.
He looked at Xu Chuan inside the array, his voice hoarse. "Xu Chuan, you really did set up a turtle shell in Cloudstream City.
This has truly exceeded my expectations.
But do you plan to hide inside for the rest of your life, acting like a coward pulling his head into his shell? Is this how you intend to rule Heavenly Azure Prefecture?"
Faced with this mockery, Xu Chuan's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he smiled faintly.
He turned his head to Moyue, who was already eager to try his strength, and said, "Seeing as you've held back for so long, go ahead and fight him."
"You got it!"
War intent erupted in Moyue's eyes. With a low roar, his figure swelled drastically once more!
His black robes burst apart as a three-hundred-meter-long flood dragon body reappeared in the world. A heaven-shaking dragon roar echoed straight into the clouds!
No longer restraining his aura, his True Dragon Pressure swept out like a storm, actually suppressing Xi Daoyun's Nascent Soul pressure by a notch!
With a flick of his massive tail, Moyue shot out of the city protection grand array, carrying a violently fierce momentum as he lunged straight at Xi Daoyun!
"Bring it on!"
A sharp gaze flashed in Xi Daoyun's eyes. Completely fearless, he brandished the "Geng Metal" flying sword to meet the charge.
Knowing that time was precious, he had to end the battle quickly. Thus, his first strike was a lethal blow. The sword light was condensed to the extreme, specifically targeting Moyue's relatively weaker points of defense: his reverse scale, joints, and eyes.
Moyue roared continuously. He either forcefully clashed his dragon claws against the sword edge, producing ear-piercing metallic clangs and showering sparks, or spat out dragon breath. The astonishing cold qi swept in all directions, forcing Xi Daoyun to dodge.
His massive body was an even more terrifying weapon. Every ram and whip contained the monumental force to collapse mountains and split the earth.
One human and one flood dragon instantly engaged in an earth-shattering, frenzied battle high in the sky outside the east gate!
Dragon roars shook the heavens, and sword lights pierced the sky!
The shockwaves generated by the violent energy collisions expanded outward in concentric rings, causing distant mountains to tremble and forests to be uprooted.
The clouds were ripped to shreds, and the sky flickered between bright and dark.
Every clash unleashed deafening booms, like the rumbling of heavenly thunder.
Such massive commotion had long since alarmed all the cultivators within Cloudstream City and across hundreds of miles.
Countless streaks of light rose from within the city, watching from afar while still inside the city protection grand array.
Even more nearby factions and rogue cultivators rushed over upon hearing the news, gathering further away and craning their necks to watch.
"It's the Xi Family Ancestor and the Xu Family's transformed flood dragon!"
"My heavens! Is this a battle at the Nascent Soul level? It's terrifying!"
"Wasn't the Xi Family forced away by True Lord Withered Glory? Why is the Xi Family Ancestor back? Could he have come specifically for revenge?"
"Ancestor Xi's aura... Could his injuries have fully healed?!"
"What grade is Cloudstream City's city protection grand array anyway? To withstand such terrifying energy fluctuations without showing a single crack."
"The transformed great demon is extremely ferocious, but Ancestor Xi's Sword Dao is also incredibly frightening. Every strike seems capable of cleaving mountains. I wonder who will emerge victorious in the end?"
The onlookers engaged in widespread discussion, all shocked by this clash at the Nascent Soul level.
In the air above the mountains.
Yu Qi and True Lord Green Wood watched silently once again.
True Lord Green Wood's fists were tightly clenched, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms. His gaze remained locked onto the figure of his Ancestor in the sky, burning his life away to wage battle with his sword. His heart was filled with profound grief.
Meanwhile, Yu Qi kept his eyes fixed on Moyue.
"What a flood dragon! Truly powerful. I wonder how the Xu Family raised him? It must have taken the efforts of several generations.
I heard the Xu Family came from elsewhere.
It shouldn't be the central region of Heavenly South, as I've never heard of a family like the Xu Family there.
Before fleeing here, the Xu Family must have been a Nascent Soul family.
Otherwise, how could they have risen so rapidly and possessed so many prodigy clansmen?"
In the blink of an eye, fifteen minutes passed.
"Xi Daoyun's aura is in chaos," Xu Chuan suddenly noted. "It seems that forcefully elevating his strength will last for half an hour at most."
"Then we'll wait until his energy is exhausted, and then you can strike and kill him, Father!" Xu Mingxian said.
"Alright, we'll do as you suggest."
Xu Chuan nodded slightly, his gaze still locked onto the frenzied battle between man and flood dragon outside the city.
The melee between Moyue and Xi Daoyun grew increasingly brutal.
The peak combat prowess Xi Daoyun exchanged his life for was truly terrifying. The sword lights stuck like maggots to the bone and crashed like monstrous waves against the shore, surging endlessly.
Moyue's massive body had already been carved with deep and shallow bloody gashes by the peerlessly sharp golden sword aura.
Dark blue scales were torn open, and dragon blood spilled from the sky.
However, for the thick-skinned and tenaciously vital flood dragon race, these injuries were not fatal.
Instead, they aroused his even more ferocious wild nature, making his counterattacks increasingly fierce.