Outside the hall, the Fu Family’s inner fortress was already deserted. Apart from the pools of blood staining the ground, not a single soul remained. It seemed the Fu Family’s direct lineage of cultivators had indeed been wiped out, their bodies reduced to ashes.
However, some cultivators who had taken to the skies on their artifacts noticed that the outer fortress, where the Fu Family’s mortal kin and low-ranking outer disciples resided, remained untouched. These people seemed completely unaware of the catastrophe that had befallen the inner fortress, continuing their daily routines as if nothing had happened. It appeared the perpetrator either deemed them unworthy of attention or believed eliminating the Fu Family’s direct lineage was enough to erase the Fu Family from existence.
Having witnessed such a shocking event, the remaining cultivators dared not linger. Most rogue cultivators immediately fled the scene, while the rest exchanged hushed words before departing one by one.
The annihilation of the Fu Family was no trivial matter, whether for their allies or enemies. News of this event would undoubtedly stir up a storm. Moreover, with two of the Blazing Flame Sect’s guardians perishing here, regardless of whether the perpetrator was truly a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Blazing Flame Sect would surely take action.
Their priority now was to swiftly relay this news back to their own clans and sects, ensuring they could seize the initiative or prepare for any potential upheaval.
Shortly after the last few cultivators hurriedly left the Fu Family Fortress, a group of unfamiliar green-robed cultivators arrived belatedly at Purple Path Mountain. Upon seeing the Fu Family Fortress with its defenses deactivated due to the lack of overseers, they were momentarily stunned.
By then, the outer disciples had finally noticed the catastrophe in the inner fortress, plunging the entire Fu Family Fortress into chaos.
Watching the panicked Qi Condensation cultivators below, the green-robed cultivators hovering above exchanged bewildered glances.
Within days, news of the Fu Family—the foremost clan of the Yuan Wu Kingdom—being annihilated overnight by a mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator spread like wildfire across the entire cultivation world of the kingdom. The revelation sent shockwaves through all factions, large and small.
The Blazing Flame Sect, having lost two of its guardians during the incident, was particularly incensed. They dispatched numerous envoys to hunt down the mysterious perpetrator, even declaring that their Nascent Soul elders would confront this individual who dared disregard their sect’s authority.
However, discerning observers could tell this was likely mere posturing. The Blazing Flame Sect would probably let the matter fade without resolution.
After all, according to eyewitness accounts, the two guardians had foolishly aligned themselves too closely with the Fu Family and recklessly intervened, only to meet their demise at the hands of a vengeful Nascent Soul cultivator. Their fate was simply a stroke of misfortune.
Once a Nascent Soul cultivator departed the Yuan Wu Kingdom, even the Blazing Flame Sect—despite its vast influence—would struggle to track them down. Moreover, while defeating a Nascent Soul cultivator might be feasible, killing or capturing one was an entirely different challenge. Without the combined efforts of three or four Nascent Soul cultivators or the deployment of a formidable array, such an endeavor was nearly impossible.
The Blazing Flame Sect would never mobilize so many Nascent Soul elders merely to avenge two Core Formation guardians. Even if they were willing, the elders themselves would hardly intervene for such a trivial matter.
Nonetheless, the incident sent ripples through the Yuan Wu Kingdom’s cultivation world. The Fu Family’s former assets—spiritual mines, marketplaces, and other lucrative holdings—were swiftly divided among the remaining factions, leading to significant shifts in power.
However, this turmoil held little relevance for Han Li. Contrary to expectations, he did not immediately leave the Yuan Wu Kingdom. Instead, days later, he appeared atop an unremarkable, nameless mountain.
Bathed in azure light, he hovered mid-air, gazing pensively at the mist-shrouded mountainside. A faint trace of nostalgia flickered across his face.
“Over a hundred years have passed, yet this place remains unchanged. But if the restrictions still stand, has someone else taken residence here?” he murmured to himself, his expression unreadable.
After annihilating the Fu Family Fortress with his Three-Colored Gold Devouring Beetle swords, Han Li had taken the patriarch’s head and flown straight to this mountain—the very place where Xin Ruyin had once lived in seclusion.
Having formed a bond with Xin Ruyin and Qi Xiaoyao in the past, he intended to use the patriarch’s head as an offering to honor their memory, bringing closure to their vengeance. Yet, to his surprise, it seemed someone else now occupied Xin Ruyin’s former abode, stirring a flicker of suspicion within him.
After a brief contemplation, Han Li descended toward the mountainside restrictions. Given his current cultivation and mastery of formations, these barriers posed no obstacle.
Standing before the mist, he calmly flicked his fingers, sending several colored incantations into the restriction. The mist churned and parted, revealing a narrow passage. Han Li transformed into a streak of azure light and darted inside.
Moments later, the mist dissipated, revealing a cluster of weathered bamboo buildings—Xin Ruyin’s former residence.
Surveying the aged, yellowish bamboo structures, Han Li felt a pang of melancholy at the passage of time and the changes it had wrought.
Just then, a woman in her forties emerged from one of the bamboo houses. Though her features were pleasant, her cultivation was meager—barely at the third or fourth layer of Qi Condensation. Yet, something about her face struck Han Li as oddly familiar.
“Ah! Who—who are you? How did you get in here?” the woman gasped, her face paling as she fumbled for two fiery-red talismans at her waist, her gaze wary.
Her reaction was understandable. Anyone discovering an uninvited guest in their supposedly secure abode would be alarmed, especially a low-level cultivator facing someone whose power she couldn’t fathom.
But before Han Li could inquire further, the woman scrutinized him and suddenly exclaimed, “Wait—are you Senior Han? Senior Han Li?”
Han Li blinked in surprise but quickly composed himself. After a moment’s thought, a realization dawned on him. “What relation do you have to Little Mei from back then? You bear a striking resemblance to her.”
His expression softened as he regarded the woman.
“Little Mei? Ah, you must mean my grandmother! She passed away decades ago. My family now tends to Lady Xin’s former residence,” the woman replied, bowing deeply upon confirming Han Li’s identity.
“You’re Little Mei’s descendant? How time flies—that little girl is now a grandmother,” Han Li mused with a wry smile, accepting her explanation without doubt.
“But how did you recognize me?” he pressed, still puzzled.
“Grandmother left behind a portrait she painted of you. I grew up seeing it, so I recognized you at once,” the woman admitted, flushing slightly.
“A portrait? I wasn’t aware of such a thing. Might I see it?” Han Li asked, intrigued.
“Of course! Please, come inside first. I’ll fetch the scroll for you,” she said, stepping aside to usher him in.
After a brief hesitation, Han Li entered the bamboo house. Though the interior lacked extravagance, its neatness and simplicity pleased him.
Seated on a bamboo chair, he accepted a cup of fragrant tea—nowhere near the spiritual tea Xin Ruyin had once cultivated, but still pleasantly aromatic.
As he sipped, the woman excused herself to retrieve the portrait.
Han Li’s spiritual sense casually tracked her movements as she headed to a nearby pavilion. The first floor was empty, but on the second, he spotted a wooden table bearing two aged memorial tablets—one for Qi Xiaoyao, the other for Xin Ruyin.
A pang of sorrow struck Han Li as memories of the two flooded his mind.
The woman bowed respectfully to the tablets before retrieving a cylindrical scroll from a hidden compartment beneath the table. She then hurried back to Han Li’s side.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage