Milin Prefecture was the Yu Family's ancestral stronghold and the most fertile area in all the mortal lands around Moongaze Lake. At its height, it supported a population of 560,000, but decades of decline had reduced that number to just 220,000.
The land here was flat and rich, a vast and fertile plain. Yet, with the loss of Yu Mugao's leadership, the mortal inhabitants had fallen into destitution, and most of the arable land and mineral resources had been seized by clan elders and external cultivators.
An Zheyan rode the wind as he flew toward the prefecture. Though he was now an old man, a faint joy was unmistakable on his face.
It wasn't hard to understand his feelings. His life had been a series of dramatic ups and downs: first rising to prominence by overthrowing the Ji Family and being hailed as the father of a prodigy, only to see his clan exterminated and his son killed by Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui. Reduced to hiding among mortals, he had barely survived.
In the end, he sought refuge with the Li Family, experienced repeated breakthroughs in cultivation, reinvented himself, and even remarried and started a new family. Now, after all these years, he was returning to Yu Family lands with a large force of cultivators at his back. Sixty-seven years had passed like a fleeting dream, and his eyes brimmed with tears.
"Jingming... even if this was achieved by borrowing the strength of the Li Family, it is still a real chance to repay this humiliation. Give me a few more years, and I will repay every drop of blood debt in kind!" He murmured to himself, "You always saw farther than I did..."
He thought back to his talented son, who had urged him to escape through the hidden tunnel and repeatedly told him to seek shelter with the Li Family. At the time, An Zheyan thought it was akin to walking into a trap, but over the years, he came to accept it—and even be grateful.
Milin Peak slowly came into view. Several Yu Family cultivators flew up to intercept him but were stopped at the perimeter. An Zheyan, his posture deliberately arrogant, strode confidently forward with his hands clasped behind his back, saying nothing as he stood before the grand formation.
Glancing at the barrier, he smirked and said, "Well, who would have thought…"
From within the silver-white formation, an aged voice spoke humbly, "Greetings, Lord An… may I ask why you have come? The Oath of the Three Families is still fresh in everyone's memory… I fear this may not be appropriate."
An Zheyan was about to reply when a muffled groan suddenly echoed from within the formation, followed by a scream of disbelief. He stood stunned as the Yu Family's main formation opened effortlessly before him.
A man flew out from below, holding aloft an intricate formation plate in both hands. Bowing respectfully, he announced loudly, "I am from the Chi Family of Mount Zai, and I welcome the arrival of the immortal clan. The great Yu Family formation lies here, and the Grand Elder, Yu Muli, has already been executed by this humble servant!"
The Jade Court Guards exchanged bewildered glances, and An Zheyan, equally stunned, said nothing as he descended.
The Chi Family member, still holding the formation plate with both hands, followed closely behind An Zheyan. The large party landed together, and the Jade Court Guards, numbering twenty-two Qi Cultivators, outnumbered the Yu Family members standing on the peak.
Before the assembled Yu Family cultivators, An Zheyan retrieved the Six-Stone Cloud Plate with a cold sneer. He declared, "The Yu Family once conspired to harm the head of my clan. Now, karma has come for Yu Muxian. Out of respect for him as a so-called hero, I present this spirit artifact to bury with his body, so his remains will not be scattered to the winds."
At these words, Li Wushao, who stood behind him clad in black robes, rolled his eyes silently. Having worked with An Zheyan during lake mining surveys, Li Wushao knew him well and thought to himself, He definitely picked up that line from somewhere. There is no way he came up with that on his own...
Still, Li Wushao played along. His expression darkened, and shadows darted ominously beneath his robes. The Foundation Establishment Realm aura he released was so intense that the Yu Family cultivators across from him all took an involuntary step back.
The atmosphere was tense, with fear and dread palpable among the Yu Family members. None of them dared to step forward to accept the battered Six-Stone Cloud Plate . Their hesitation wasn't out of grief for Yu Muxian but fear of their crumbling support and the overwhelming power displayed by the Li Family.
An Zheyan, fully playing his role, gave a subtle nod of approval to the Chi Family member. The group took to the skies and disappeared, leaving as suddenly as they had come.
As soon as they left, the remaining Yu Family members collectively let out a sigh of relief. Their eyes turned toward the Chi Family member holding the formation plate, their expressions varying from suspicion to anger.
The Chi Family member, unaffected, calmly returned to the courtyard, his demeanor composed. Smiling warmly, he cupped his fist toward the central figure and said, "So, Yu Muxian is dead... Family Head, why did you not inform us?"
His words made Yu Chengyi's face darken. Middle-aged with mediocre cultivation, Yu Chengyi struggled to suppress his anger and fear as he replied in a low voice, "What is the meaning of this, Master Chi? I was unaware of this matter—how could I have concealed it?"
Before he could finish, a panicked figure rushed forward, his face pale as he cried out, "Family Head! Family Head! Master Lu has rallied his forces behind the third young master and taken control of the outer immortal mountain!"
Both Master Chi and Yu Chengyi's faces fell. Before they could respond, another person came forward, shouting, "Family Head! The external families have all broken into open conflict!"
Yu Chengyi's expression turned grim as he looked at Master Chi, speaking in a hushed tone, "Master Chi, given the current situation… we have no choice but to join forces if we are to protect ourselves."
————
An Zheyan flew into the sky, his heart filled with a torrent of emotions. He glanced back, seemingly wanting to say something, but his throat caught, and he could not find the words.
Li Wushao gave him a glare, prompting him to laugh awkwardly before sulkily riding the wind away. As they flew over a grove of trees, An Zheyan suddenly seemed to remember something and said, embarrassed, "My Lord, let me make a quick stop."
Li Wushao, uninterested, gave a slight nod, and An Zheyan descended into a courtyard surrounded by orange trees.
Years ago, he had passed through this place and taken shelter here. A mortal couple had given him a bowl of duck soup, the flavor of which lingered in his memory. Unable to resist, he landed to see what had become of the place.
To his surprise, the house was in ruins, covered in dust and cobwebs. An Zheyan thought to himself, Surely, with the gold I gave them, they must have moved to the city to live comfortably.
Not wanting to keep the brooding Hooked Serpent waiting, he prepared to leave. But just as his spiritual sense swept over the area, he froze, then strode forward and kicked the door open.
Boom!
The door shattered under his foot, revealing the state of the interior. Dust blanketed everything, weeds grew unchecked, and a few wild rabbits darted around the courtyard. Startled birds flapped noisily into the sky as An Zheyan stepped inside.
Scattered around the courtyard were a few rusted hoes and a small but deep pit, as though something had been buried there long ago.
He pushed open the kitchen door and immediately saw a set of white bones lying atop the stove. The skeleton was small, its hands wedged tightly into a crack in the stone. The flesh had long since rotted away, but the iron lock still hung grimly on the window.
An Zheyan said nothing and walked into the inner room. Another skeleton lay sprawled across the decaying bed, its larger frame sprawled out haphazardly. Bones littered the floor, and the spine was shattered in several places, bearing the unmistakable marks of blade strikes.
Silent, An Zheyan left the courtyard. With a wave of his sleeve, the entire structure collapsed into rubble in an instant. He took to the skies once more, his expression growing more and more fearsome.
Not a word escaped his lips as he led his group onward. From above, Li Wushao observed everything clearly but remained silent.
An Zheyan, who had just avenged a fraction of his old grudge today, felt no joy at all. His face sagged on both sides like that of an old dog, his eyes dull and lifeless. He flew onward, only speaking when they reached the mountain and entered the protective formation, "Damn this cursed world!"