Blood continued to flow over the forbidden formation, and the once lush island that was protected by the formation quickly turned into scorched earth. As the glow of spells faded, a middle-aged, cowering man came into view, clutching his head. His eyes were shut and he was trembling.
This middle-aged man had a huge gash across his waist, and it was bleeding profusely. After a long while, he opened his eyes in disbelief and looked around. Then, with a burst of ecstatic laughter, he hurriedly treated his wound.
After rummaging through the ruins for a while, his face turned even paler from his severe blood loss. Unable to search any further, he wrapped the talismans and dharma artifacts with his clothes before exiting the formation, only to be met by a grumbling cultivator on the shore who snatched the items he had retrieved.
"Damn it, these peasants are trickier than the last... If it weren't for the need to cooperate with the ones that follow, who would bother giving them gold?!"
After tossing a bag of gold, they hauled the man onto a small boat that could accommodate about two or three people.
"Number twenty-one, off you go!" they shouted.
As the small boat departed—which was carrying a few lucky ones who survived with only missing limbs—people on several small boats at the rear of the large ship looked on in anticipation, waiting for orders from above.
Li Tongya observed such diverse fates on the island, waiting a while longer. It was not long before an emaciated elder wielding a jade scepter approached from the east, riding the wind.
It was Lu Sisi.
"Brother Tongya!" Lu Sisi cupped his fist and greeted Li Tongya before joining him mid-air.
"The Yu family mentioned meeting here on the island, but I see none of their kin. From a distance, I only spotted a few minor family heads waiting together in the sky. What does this mean?" he asked in confusion.
Li Tongya, with a low chuckle, glanced around and pointed toward the distant large ship.
"Nothing much... just making an example out of some chickens to scare the monkeys."
Lu Sisi, understanding this gesture, laughed at the misfortune of the people below them.
"I see! We've also found these rogue cultivators quite displeasing... but with several Qi Cultivators aboard, none of the families wanted to stir trouble, that's why they were allowed to roam free for so long."
As they conversed, the large ship suddenly raised its sails in alarm, buzzing with activity. Several figures emerged to encircle the ship from all sides, with a formidable-looking man standing above—completely clothed in black. He appeared to be middle-aged and exuded an overwhelming presence.
Lu Sisi counted and then remarked, "Nine Qi Cultivators... the Yu Family really is wealthy."
He looked up at the black-clothed man and continued in a somewhat dejected tone, "That must be the current head of the Yu Family, Yu Xiaogui. We attained the Qi Cultivation Realm the same year, but he's already a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator now. I've dealt with him before... he's a sinister and ruthless man, not easy to handle at all!"
"Oh?" Li Tongya tutted as he flew closer to the large ship with him.
Lu Sisi continued, "Yu Xiaogui was the leader of the Five Heroes of the Yu Family back in the day. Two of the five have passed away, and of the three who reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm and sought breakthroughs, he was the only one who survived."
After standing for a moment in the air, the presence of Yu Xiaogui and his group clearly caused unease among the people below.
An elderly rogue cultivator flew up with a grim expression before slapping himself twice in the face. He cupped his fist and pleaded with Yu Xiaogui, "Greetings, head of Yu Family. We've ignorantly violated the rules of the lake and caused disturbance... I deeply apologize and am willing to compensate for any losses!"
This elder was also at the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm with a clear flow of true essence, indicating consumption of refined—though not top-tier—spiritual qi. Despite being significantly older, he addressed Yu Xiaogui as a senior with obsequious flattery.
Yu Xiaogui came forward with an amiable smile on his face. He lifted his arm, revealing his arm that was as smooth as the jade inside the sleeve of his robe. With a wave of his hand, the elder's head, which was several meters away, immediately burst open like a watermelon. He plummeted to the ship on the lake before he could even have the chance to grunt.
This caused a large commotion to break out on the ship.
The Qi Cultivators from the Yu Family immediately swarmed in and the formation inscribed onto the ship shone brightly. The area immediately became a battlefield with cultivators clashing, causing the lake to churn unpredictably. Bursts of spells exploded on the water's surface.
The few fortunate ships that had just made their escape capsized amidst the turmoil. The injured and drowned vanished beneath the waves, meeting their inevitable end.
"As always! Just as always! That's Yu Xiaogui's style," Lu Sisi remarked, shaking his head at the sight of Yu Xiaogui standing with his hands behind his back, finding himself at a loss for words.
Unlike Yu Xiaogui who still looked like a middle-aged man, Lu Sisi had aged significantly, with white hair and limited days ahead.
Li Tongya observed the group while stroking his chin. Noticing their proximity to the ship's cabin, which would have already placed them within the cultivators' spiritual sense, he could not help but speculate out loud.
"The Yu Family must possess some dharma artifact that conceals their presence... It's quite effective, considering that it could hide them until they were close to the ship, preventing the rogue cultivators from escaping in alarm."
As they spoke, the ship turned into a bloody scene of massacre. The smaller boats that were attached capsized, and hundreds of mortals lay atop the ship's hull. Many more attempted to swim to the island but being unfamiliar with the formation, did not know where to land, leading to an even bloodier and unbearable sight.
Soon, the rogue cultivators' large ship capsized with a thunderous noise. A more magnificent and luxurious ship slowly approached from behind Yu Xiaogui and his people.
With cultivators from the Yu Family still smeared in blood, they landed on the ship. Only then did Yu Xiaogui look up and smile, channeling his mana to amplify his voice to reverberate across the lake.
"Honorable Family Heads... please, join us on board for a discussion!"
After a tantalizing pause, people gradually made their way onto the ship from afar. They were seemingly the Yu Family's entourage and were engaging in cheerful conversation.
Lu Sisi and Li Tongya landed on the ship, their spiritual sense scanning the items on board efficiently. The deck was already set with two rows of stone tables, with Yu Xiaogui seated at the head of it, sipping wine.
Yu Mugao hurriedly came over and greeted them, cupping his fist to Li Tongya while disregarding Lu Sisi by his side.
"Senior Tongya, you've arrived early. We apologize for making you wait!"
"Not at all, it actually allowed me to witness the distinguished demeanor of your esteemed Family Head!" Li Tongya politely responded, to which Yu Xiaogui, sitting at the head, looked up. He placed his wine cup down and squinted at him, seeming to be pondering something silently.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, all the families finally arrived. Only two families on the lake had Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators—the Yu Family from the east coast and the Fei Family from the north coast.
Li Tongya was seated next to Yu Xiaogui, directly across from the Fei Family, a position that was quite conspicuous. Li Tongya frowned upon noticing Yu Xiaogui's gaze and took his seat reluctantly.
The head of the Fei Family, also a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm, was dressed in brocade and appeared much younger and more elegant than Yu Xiaogui.
He smiled slightly at Li Tongya, who returned the gesture with a nod, acknowledging each other's intentions.
Yu Xiaogui, seeing that everyone was present, nodded and stood up with an arrogant smile.
"Thank you all for being here on time, giving face to my Yu Family. I, Xiaogui, am grateful to everyone." His voice boomed loudly.
The representatives from the other families quickly stood up, saying they dared not take credit.
Yu Xiaogui waved them off, interrupting their polite refusals, and continued, "Ever since the immortal mansion had secluded itself from the world, the Azure Pond Sect, and the Golden Tang Gate had divided the Moongaze Lake, leading to continuous conflicts. There hasn't been a single day of peace on the lake. The rise and fall of various clans over more than three hundred years have led to unbearable chaos... I presume everyone has had enough."
Lu Sisi, caught off guard by the speech, internally cursed at Yu Xiaogui for his slyness. "Everyone's been living comfortably; who would want the Yu Family to rise above them..?! He sure knows how to sugarcoat things..." he thought to himself grumbly.
Despite thinking this way, he agreed aloud respectfully. "What the family head Yu said is true!"
"I knew it."
Yu Xiaogui nodded and beamed before glancing at Li Tongya, who remained silent at his side. He then turned to look at the brocade-clad middle-aged man who seemed more interested in his wine cup.
He smiled, "Fortunately, Golden Tang Gate has retreated, and Azure Pond Sect has moved north... Finally, Moongaze Lake has come under a unified jurisdiction. The end of these chaotic days is near."
Pausing for dramatic effect, he continued, "My son has been accepted into Yuanwu Peak, and through his request to the peak's master, it was reported to the main peak. The entire Moongaze Lake has been designated as a separate jurisdiction, and removed from Lixia Prefecture. Our Yu Family's twelve towns will form a new prefecture, named Milin Prefecture. From now on, you all will no longer need to submit your tributes at Lixia Prefecture; it can now be done directly at Milin!"