The snow and rain on Glacial Cloud Peak fell lightly upon the white-robed youth, whose bright eyes were fixed on the intricate patterns of the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation.
The Fei brothers did not keep Li Tongya waiting for long. Within just a few breaths, the dazzling light of the formation began to fade, and a man emerged from within.
This man had a kind face that bore some resemblance to Fei Wangbai and was at the sixth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. He rode the wind and approached Li Tongya, bowing deeply with a humble demeanor.
"Junior Fei Wangjiang greets Senior! Your act of repulsing Yu Xiaogui and saving our family is a great favor we will never forget..."
Li Tongya waved his hand in response and said, "Daoist Wangbai and I are good friends... It is only natural for our families to help each other."
Fei Wangjiang, though middle-aged, showed utmost respect to Li Tongya who looked sixteen or seventeen years old in appearance. He led Li Tongya respectfully to the mountaintop where numerous members of the Fei Family had already gathered.
From aged elders to young children, all kneeled tearfully and cried out in unison, "Welcome, Ancestor..."
Li Tongya stepped aside, still holding his sword, and moved forward. Two young men approached. The older one in a gray robe appeared around twenty-five or twenty-six, with an anxious expression on his handsome face. He kneeled and bowed deeply, saying, "Junior Fei Tongyu greets the ancestor!"
Li Tongya's gaze swept over the sorrowful faces of the Fei Family. Once a distinguished clan in their elegant white robes, now they were filled with grief and devoid of spirit.
"Rise."
Only then did he notice that the traditionally white-clad Fei Family had hastily changed into gray robes. The children's clothes were carelessly wrapped, indicating that they had all changed quickly to avoid clashing with his white robe.
"On my way here... I did not see Daoist Wangbai..." Li Tongya began, though he already knew the answer.
"The ancestor... he... he has passed away!"
At the mention of Fei Wangbai, the Fei Family began to sob hysterically. Fei Tongyu, fearing they might disturb Li Tongya, quickly led him into the courtyard.
Li Tongya stood holding his sword as Fei Tongyu explained the circumstances of Fei Wangbai's death in detail. After he had explained, he respectfully bowed, took a step forward, and gently pushed open the dark coffin.
Creaaaak...
A soft light illuminated Fei Wangbai's dignified face. Fei Tongyu had meticulously arranged his clothes, making him look as though he were merely sleeping. Li Tongya moved the white cloth aside carefully and stared at the horrific wound.
"What are the Patterned Brocade 's Dao Partners?" Li Tongya asked gently.
Fei Tongyu hesitated, as the clan's immortal foundation secrets were usually closely guarded. However, Li Tongya had just saved the family, and their lives were now in his hands.
Reluctantly, he replied, "Records mention Jade Court General , Green Jade Cliff , and True Dao Unification ... As for the others, we do not know."
" Jade Court General ..."
A realization dawned on Li Tongya. The immortal foundations of the lake's families were indeed of the same nature. It was no surprise that Yu Yufeng had been killed first, followed by Fei Wangbai a few years later...
The deep, meaningful look in Fei Wangbai's eyes during the banquet hosted by the Yu Family still lingered in his mind. Now, that same person lay cold and lifeless.
Li Tongya felt a chill down his spine and thought to himself,
The Boundless Ocean from River One Qi Technique and the Jade Court General from Aged Courtly Path Scripture must be practiced sparingly. Even if successfully cultivated, they should not be used to establish a Dao foundation...
Xiao Chuting, who has good relations with our family, mentioned that many techniques from Lingyu Gate were spread around when it fell. Many practiced Boundless Ocean, which is relatively safe, but Jade Court General must be avoided!
Fei Tongyu, mistaking his silence for contemplation, stepped forward with tears in his eyes and said, "Our family has operated on the northern shore for many years, dealing with the three sects and seven gates, as well as several forces in Xu State... Yet, we cannot fathom the origin of the culprit!"
"Yue State has no major sect that uses swords! There are only a few sword cultivators within the three sects and seven gates... but Changxiao Gate is grand and magnificent, Golden Tang Gate is sharp and unparalleled, and Purple Smoke Gate moves like a long rainbow. None of them fit..."
Fei Tongyu felt anxious and hopeful as he looked at Li Tongya, his heart filled with hatred like a raging river but found no place to release these strong emotions of his. All he hoped for at that moment was to get a definite answer from Li Tongya.
In private discussions with his brother, Fei Tongyu had gone through various possibilities, even suspecting Li Chejing from the southern border. However, he had heard that Li Chejing's sword was bright like moonlight and gentle like the breeze, which did not match either.
"Could it be that our ancestor inadvertently offended some Foundation Establishment Realm rogue cultivator..."
Li Tongya listened to Fei Tongyu's tearful recount and then gently raised his hand, brushing past the wound on Fei Wangbai's neck. He then pinched out a faint white sword light, as if picking up a swimming fish.
This sword light had its own consciousness and constantly struggled in his hand, but was unable to escape. Li Tongya combined his two fingers and took two breaths to extinguish it.
"This person's swordsmanship is superior to mine."
Li Tongya slowly closed his eyes, recalling the people from the three sects and seven gates he had seen at Xiao Chuting's gathering, and murmured, "Ethereal and transcendent, yet full of life."
He suddenly paused, exhaled a long breath, then turned to Fei Tongyu and said gently, "This person believes your family absolutely cannot identify him, so he only killed Daoist Wangbai."
Fei Tongyu, although somewhat weak in character, was not a fool. Hearing Li Tongya's words, his heart sank.
"I understand..." he croaked hoarsely.
As they conversed, Fei Wangbai's body and head in the coffin, now no longer hindered by sword qi, slowly rejoined, and his dull eyes gradually opened.
Li Tongya and Fei Tongyu were not surprised by this. A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator's body, nourished by immortal foundations, was extraordinary, comparable to that of a spirit item. If left in the dark for a long time, it might even develop some unusual phenomena.
"How does your clan plan to handle Daoist Wangbai's body?" Li Tongya asked softly.
Fei Tongyu respectfully raised his head and answered, "Our family has always practiced the Patterned Brocade . Three ancestors have successively achieved Foundation Establishment Realm, so there are precedents. In the first three years, the Patterned Brocade causes the cultivator's teeth, hair, and nails to fall off, turning into jade, while the eyes become cinnabar. In the next three years, the flesh turns into silk and brocade, and the internal organs turn into gold and silver... After another three years, everything else turns into mercury, leaving nothing behind."
Li Tongya nodded slightly, his handsome face thoughtful. He had heard of these transformations in his many years of cultivation. Fei Tongyu continued respectfully, "Then we follow the tradition of placing everything in a jade box to be worshiped by the clan."
"It is fine as long as there is a precedent." Li Tongya nodded. After all, he had a friendship with Fei Wangbai. Knowing the Fei Family's current predicament, he was worried they might misuse Fei Wangbai's body for something unsavory. Hearing Fei Tongyu's explanation, he felt greatly relieved.
He closed the coffin, took two steps down, bowed respectfully again, and said softly, "Come in."
As he spoke, the courtyard door creaked open automatically, and Fei Wangjiang and Fei Tongxiao entered together, both bowing respectfully.
"We are here!"
Fei Tongyu's heart raced with anxiety, waiting for Li Tongya to speak. His hand clenched and unclenched a talisman in his sleeve, knowing it was a joke to Li Tongya but feeling a deep sense of despair in his heart.
If the Fei Family perishes today, there must be bloodshed. As the head of the family, I must commit suicide to apologize to the clan... My brother Tongxiao is far more talented than I am. With him protecting the family, they may have a chance to rise again in a hundred years...