"Brother!"
Fei Tongxiao bent down, gripping his brother's hand tightly. "Three hundred years ago, when our ancestor was killed while traveling, our family was in peril. But then, a disciple from the immortal mansion fought fiercely and subdued the Jiang Family, allowing all the families into seclusion for a hundred years. A little over a century ago, even when our family was in decline, there were still five families that divided the Jiang Family, giving us a respite..." he said in a deep voice.
"These events are precisely why our ancestors strove so hard, elevating our family to the status of a prominent clan! We cannot speak of giving up lightly!" Fei Tongxiao said as he gritted his teeth, his eyes brimming with tears.
"We are not yet at a dead end. We must not give up! Have you forgotten, Brother..." he continued, his tone resolute this time.
"Go, seek out the Li Family."
Hearing these words, Fei Tongyu finally straightened up, composing himself. However, he suddenly felt a tremor. Being a cultivator at the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, he managed to steady himself, but his expression turned grim.
"What is happening?!" Fei Tongxiao exclaimed. He was equally alarmed and he was just about to speak when the doors of the ancestral hall burst open.
A middle-aged man in white robes entered, saying in a grave tone, "The Yu Family has surrounded Glacial Cloud Peak!"
"What?!"
Fei Tongyu froze, his expression changing dramatically as he said anxiously, "Notify the Li Family... No... I'm afraid that..."
"It's too late." The middle-aged man, with a gentle demeanor and at the sixth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, was the only surviving brother of Fei Wangbai. His face still bore signs of grief as he continued softly, "The Yu Family has completely encircled Glacial Cloud Peak... Not even a bug can get out!"
Fei Tongyu and Fei Tongxiao exchanged a glance with each other. Fei Tongxiao took a deep breath, calming his deep feelings of unease, and said firmly, "The Yu Family is making a huge commotion... The Li Family will surely notice. Our Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation is a top-tier formation; the Yu Family cannot break through easily! If the Li Family intends to save us, it's not over for us."
Fei Tongyu, however, stared at his younger brother and whispered, "But... what if they have no intention to save us?"
Boom!
A massive jade mountain struck the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation on Glacial Cloud Peak, causing yet another powerful tremor. Fei Tongyu steadied himself, and with a look of madness in his eyes he yelled, "Yu Mugao is no ordinary person... Daring to attack our family like this, he must have prepared to stall the Li Family, even Li Tongya himself! It might already be too late!"
Tears welled in his eyes as he lamented, "The wolves surround us on the lake... Since Grandfather's death, our fate has been sealed. This is not like a century or three centuries ago... We are besieged by wolves in front of us and tigers behind us!"
"It seems that Fei Wangbai is truly dead."
Yu Mugao gazed at the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation on Glacial Cloud Peak, watching the radiant light flowing within it. He had waited for the time it took for an entire incense stick to burn, yet Fei Wangbai had not appeared.
Beside him, Yu Xiaogui, the Yu Family's ancestor, had a complex expression on his face as he murmured, "How could this be?!"
Yu Xiaogui had been in conflict with Fei Wangbai for decades before Yu Mugao took over the family. Their encounters had resulted in mixed outcomes, and Yu Xiaogui had always found Fei Wangbai both troublesome and formidable, relying on the strength of the Yu Family to gain a slight upper hand over them.
Now, with such a figure suddenly declared dead, it gave Yu Xiaogui a sense of disbelief. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing intensely at Glacial Cloud Peak below.
"A free gift like this feels like a trap..." he muttered.
"Heh!"
Yu Mugao let out a cold laugh, having anticipated this outcome. He replied, "When Chi Zhiyan came to Moongaze Lake to recruit, he hinted that Fei Wangbai had blocked the path of some prodigy or Purple Mansion Realm cultivator within the sect. His ill fate was sealed, and it was only a matter of time before he met his end."
Yu Xiaogui felt a slight chill upon hearing this, a sense of shared fate and foreboding creeping into his bones. He muttered, "The Foundation Establishment Realm is already a path of extreme difficulty, with only one in a million achieving it... To discover at the end that you practiced the wrong method and formed the wrong immortal foundation, and end up as fodder facing death... Fei Wangbai was cultivating peacefully on the lake. How... how did he end up blocking someone's path?"
"Who knows?" Yu Mugao said as he shook his head slowly with a hint of desolation.
"Divine abilities involving fate are intricate matters... Without being a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, one cannot see clearly. Like sparrows blind to the eagle's vision, the various families are groping in the dark, being used by others unknowingly."
The Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven was an ancient formation, capable of withstanding Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Yu Xiaogui and his entourage surrounded Glacial Cloud Peak, observing the pristine white formation beneath their feet. Various spells from the Yu Family cultivators fell upon the formation, only to dissipate.
"The Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation is indeed a top-tier formation..." Yu Mugao praised, watching the flames and ice conjured by the Yu Family cultivators vanish into nothing upon contacting the formation.
"It surpasses our Jade Court Guarding Formation from back when our market was thriving. With such a grand formation, it is no wonder the Fei Family could dominate the northern shore for so many years," he remarked.
Yu Xiaogui struck the pristine white formation with both palms, but the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation remained unmoved. He snorted coldly then flicked his sleeve, from which a small jade mountain flew out.
"Jade Smoke Mountain!"
The Yu Family's treasured artifact expanded in the wind, quickly growing to the height of a person. The lifelike cranes and ancient trees on it appeared vividly as it pressed down on the Fei Family's formation, emitting a series of dull thuds.
However, the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation merely shimmered slightly as its intricate patterns glowed even brighter now. No matter how many times the Jade Smoke Mountain struck, the formation remained unmoved.
"Invoke!" Yu Xiaogui commanded as he nodded slightly, performing a hand seal. His Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation surged, and his immortal foundation activated immediately. The Jade Smoke Mountain in the air began to spin rapidly, growing larger and larger until it was the size of a small hill.
The cranes on it raised their heads and cried out as the ancient trees stretched vigorously. Mist swirled around, as if to descend.
"Ha!"
Yu Xiaogui's face reddened slightly, and the Jade Smoke Mountain fell abruptly onto the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation , producing thunderous roars this time. The Fei Family members inside the formation looked terrified and at an utter loss while the Yu Family members outside cheered.
Boom...!
The Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation finally showed some weakness. The thick light shield fluctuated, rippling like waves in a pond before quickly calming down.
"A fine formation indeed!" Yu Xiaogui remarked as he exhaled deeply. The Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation was renowned, and he had not expected to break it by force, but merely to test its strength. He gently raised his hand, and the Jade Smoke Mountain shrank rapidly, spinning in the air before returning to the size of a fist. It obediently flew back into his sleeve.
"No rush..." Yu Mugao muttered, picking out a dozen people from the guest cultivators and Yu Family cultivators. They descended to the foot of the mountain, casting spells to control the earth veins.
"Although the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation is formidable, it consumes energy like a whale swallowing water... We only need to influence and affect the earth veins and attack in turns, increasing the Fei Family's consumption of energy. If we hold out here for a while, the Fei Family will be exhausted within half a month."
"But delays may bring changes..." Yu Xiaogui said in concern as his expression turned gloomy, and he watched the busy Yu Family members below him. The northern wind over the lake grew stronger, and the rolling sea of clouds receded, leaving the sky clear. He absentmindedly raised his head to look at the white dot on the horizon.