The white snow on Glacial Cloud Peak never melted, covering the eaves of the ancestral hall completely. The flickering candlelight cast a dim glow around the hall, and for the first time since he began his cultivation, Fei Tongyu felt cold.
He was alone, shivering on the ground weakly.
Before him lay the corpse of his grandfather, Fei Wangbai, in a coffin. As a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, his flesh did not decay, appearing just as he did in life, though slightly paler. His eyes were tightly shut, as if just in a slumber.
Fei Tongyu could hardly believe that his grandfather had passed away so abruptly. It felt unreal, almost like he was in a dream—or a nightmare.
On the day news arrived that Li Tongya had slain the Maha Reincarnate, the smile on Fei Wangbai's face vanished. With his eldest son Fei Yihe away in the southern border, he could only hold his eldest grandson Fei Tongyu's hand and say solemnly, "Yu Yufeng is likely dead... Li Chejing probably killed him. The Li Family's power is growing too strong, which is not a good thing."
Fei Yihe's departure disrupted Fei Wangbai's plans, so he had to start over in grooming Fei Tongyu. Fortunately, Fei Tongyu was diligent and hardworking, and it still was not too late.
While they were talking, the door was gently pushed open and a man in white entered, his face covered with a veil. Fei Wangbai's expression changed slightly as he asked, "Who are you?"
The white-clad sword cultivator said nothing, simply glancing at the two men, then drew his sword and attacked.
Although the Fei Family's Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation was not fully activated, it was not something anyone could easily penetrate. However, this person moved like a ghost, his sword techniques ethereal and transcendent... clearly at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Fei Wangbai, only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, was no match in terms of cultivation techniques and spearmanship. After dozens of moves, his dharma artifact was shattered, and he barely managed to escape to the foot of the mountain. In the ensuing struggle, a sword light severed his head.
The vitality of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator was strong, and Fei Wangbai did not die immediately. He picked up his head and tried to reattach it desperately, but the wound spewed sword qi and it was no use. After two failed attempts, he finally dropped his head and collapsed.
His head fell into the snow, still shedding tears as he cried out, "It hurts so much!"
Fei Wangbai, always graceful and meticulous about his appearance, died without any dignity. His previously spotless clothing was now soaked in blood from his neck downward, and his body lay twisted grotesquely on the ground.
The wind and snow picked up, lifting a small corner of his fine robe which was soon covered by the falling snow. The Fei Family stood as if struck by lightning, staring in disbelief at the sword cultivator in the sky.
Some trembled in fear while others wept hysterically, and some attacked with their weapons. The sword cultivator in white simply stood there, dispersing dozens of spells with a single sword strike as he said softly but in a commanding manner, "Listen well! For the next eighty years, do not cultivate the Long Brocade Heart Sutra to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm... Should anyone successfully form the Patterned Brocade , they shall end up like this!"
His tone was calm as if he was not proud of crushing an ant.
With that, he flew away. The Fei Family's ancient formation, the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation , was like a piece of tattered paper before this sword cultivator, yielding to him as if he were its true master.
The Long Brocade Heart Sutra was the core technique of the Fei Family, and Fei Wangbai had used it to cultivate his immortal foundation— Patterned Brocade . The sword cultivator's words meant severing the future path of the entire Fei Family.
Fei Tongyu broke down in tears, and the Fei Family quickly descended into chaos. When Fei Tongyu finally looked up again, Fei Tongxiao had fully reactivated the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation . The fastest cultivators among them could only reach the mountaintop and none could leave.
His gaze refocused on the black coffin before him, and Fei Tongyu murmured, "Father has gone to the southern border... Grandfather... I am only at the peak of Embryonic Breathing Realm... What am I supposed to do...?"
Fei Tongyu kneeled quietly on the ground, staring at the flickering candles and incense sticks on the table. Fei Wangbai's body lay separated in the coffin, covered with a white cloth that barely concealed the gap between his neck and severed head.
"It would not reattach..." Fei Tongyu muttered weakly as he closed his eyes in pain. The sword qi left by the sword cultivator was surging from Fei Wangbai's neck wound, breaking more than ten coffins already. As a result, they had to bury him with his body and head separated.
Fei Tongyu bowed his head and wept. Behind him, Fei Tongxiao, clad in jade armor, remained calm. The childishness had vanished from his face overnight, now replaced by a mature worry and unease.
Adversity could completely change a person. Fei Tongxiao's gaze had become more focused and resilient, though dimmed with sorrow. He stared at the ancestral tablets above, speaking in a deep voice, "Big Brother! We cannot go on like this!"
"What solution do you have?!" Fei Tongyu roared as he glared at him with hatred, sneering, "Notify the Li Family?! I would rather trust those Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators than those hungry wolves of the Li Family!"
Fei Tongxiao remained silent for a long time before saying quietly, "Yu Mugao will make a move sooner or later."
"So what if he does?!"
Fei Tongyu turned abruptly, his voice filled with venom as he snarled, "There is no one in the Fei Family who fears death! Let him come!"
Fei Tongxiao shook his head, speaking softly, "Brother... no more impulsive actions! No matter how much hatred you harbor... we must survive. As long as we live on, there is hope for revenge. Moreover... those Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators are elusive, secluding themselves for years at a time. We have kept our formation running for months; everyone around Moongaze Lake knows it, yet not one has come to our aid... Only the Li Family sent their people a few times. Right now, our only hope is the Li Family!"
Fei Tongyu collapsed to the ground in despair. After a long time, he murmured in defeat, "Notify the Li Family then..."
————
Milin Prefecture.
The Yu Family had improved greatly over the years due to Yu Mugao's relentless purges. The common people's lives had improved significantly, as most of the Yu Family's scoundrels had been beheaded, including three of Yu Mugao's own illegitimate sons.
Yu Mugao's purge and land redistribution greatly slowed the Yu Family's land consolidation, earning him the peak of his popularity among the common folk. Thus, raising an army now was effortless.
"These mortals..." Yu Mugao muttered as he looked down at the reverent faces below, feeling a complex mix of emotions. He was momentarily unsure of what to think.
Yu Xiaogui, who was standing beside him, snorted, "What use are mortals? They can only help with minor tasks; a single spell can solve most problems. The Fei Family's territory is already in chaos, and a few Qi Cultivators could easily handle it."
Yu Mugao was jolted back to reality by his words as his eyes regained their cold and venomous clarity. He said softly, "Maintaining order in occupied towns requires these mortals... Give them a little profit, and they will form their own hierarchy, managing everything efficiently. No spell is more useful than these people!"
Yu Xiaogui flew alongside him, sneering, "You know that well enough! No need to upend things like the Li Family does!"
"The Li Family's reliance on external cultivators is playing with fire; they are different from us," Yu Mugao said as he shook his head.
Yu Xiaogui turned away, as if the mention of "relying on external cultivators" had touched a sore spot in his memories. The two, along with a group of guest cultivators and Yu Family members, flew silently toward Glacial Cloud Peak.
The glistening white Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation appeared before them, with its complex patterns emerging in the air. Yu Xiaogui glanced at it with a sense of nostalgia, murmuring, "This formation has stood on Glacial Cloud Peak since my grandfather's time, buried beneath the earth, only for Fei Tianxuan to take advantage and establish the Fei Family here..."
Yu Mugao stood with his hands behind his back, speaking softly, "At that time, the only family on the southeastern shore was the Jiang Family."
His words caused Yu Xiaogui to look at him sharply. As the eldest son managing the family for many years, Yu Mugao knowing this was not surprising. Yu Xiaogui then gazed at Glacial Cloud Peak and nodded with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
"Indeed..."
Seeing the Yu Family members descending before the
Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation , Yu Xiaogui said softly, "Before my grandfather killed his brother and mother, I was still part of the Jiang Family."