Chapter 238: Trapped

An Zheyin finished meditating and slowly walked down from the bluestone on the mountaintop. Before him sat a middle-aged man with a head full of grey hair, appearing a decade or so older than An Zheyin, silently meditating. As An Zheyin approached, the middle-aged man opened his eyes and respectfully said, "Senior."

An Zheyin merely nodded, his expression somewhat downcast. The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile appearing on his usually stern face, and asked, "Could it be that your wife kicked you out again?"

"Sigh!" An Zheyin shook his head, a wry smile on his face, and replied, "I don't mind you laughing, Brother Youdao, Feiruo is good in every way, except her temper is too overbearing..."

Tian Youdao chuckled twice. He had a good impression of the man who was once the An family's patriarch, but usually, with many eyes around, they didn't get too close. He replied, "Feiruo is capable and ambitious."

The Li family had sought a wife for An Zheyin several times in the town. Many spiritual cultivators were already married; even Li Yuanyun had nearly failed to find a spiritual cultivator wife. All the more so for An Zheyin, a cultivator once notorious for his brutality. In the end, after many turns, he was matched with Li Feiruo.

Li Feiruo had once married into the Shanyue tribe in the west, where she achieved merits. She also served as an official at Licuan Pass. She was exceptionally beautiful and possessed an inherent noble temperament. Although An Zheyin was a Qi Condensation cultivator, he had experienced many ups and downs, which had softened his temperament, making him gentle. Li Feiruo had him completely wrapped around her finger. Despite his grumbling, their life as a couple was quite tolerable.

An Zheyin chuckled, choosing not to dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked, "I see you're troubled, Brother Tian. Is something bothering you?"

Tian Youdao sighed deeply, his old face drooping, and replied, "I'm past fifty; I've enjoyed all the pleasures life offers, and I even managed to reach the peak of Fetal Breath before sixty. What else could trouble me... It's just that my descendants are not living up to expectations."

At this topic, An Zheyin's expression became a little awkward. He whispered, "Brother Youdao, you don't need to worry. Sometimes, being muddled has its own blessings. Having overly outstanding descendants might not always be a good thing."

Tian Youdao fell silent. As the two sat on the peak, a person ascended from below, their footsteps distinct. Dressed in a long robe with a long sword at their waist, their face was composed. It was Chen Donghe.

Chen Donghe was covered in dust from travel, clearly having just returned from outside. Both An Zheyin and Tian Youdao rose and cupped their hands in greeting. Chen Donghe returned the salute. An Zheyin smiled, "Donghe, where have you been?"

Chen Donghe shook his robe, instantly shedding a pile of dust onto the ground, leaving himself clean. He quietly replied, "My wife and daughter are both in Lijing Town. I always miss them, so I went back to see Jing Tian and Qing Xiao."

Chen Donghe sat down by the stone table nearby, took a sip from a jade cup, and looked up with some confusion, asking, "Upon my return to the mountain this time, I heard that Tian Zhongqing voluntarily volunteered, leading a group of Tian family disciples to Dongshanyue, and even agreed to a quota of six hundred jin of spirit rice. Uncle... what's the meaning of this?"

Tian Youdao gently shook his head, opened his mouth, and replied, "It's a long story. It's just that the disciples are disappointing."

Seeing that Tian Youdao did not wish to elaborate, Chen Donghe paused, then said gently, "Donghe would like to add a word: your clan's disciples are truly arrogant and overbearing. This tribulation might actually be a good thing..."

Tian Youdao raised an eyebrow, signaling Chen Donghe to continue. Chen Donghe nodded slightly and whispered, "Every day in town, when I saw the Tian clan disciples cockfighting, dog racing, and acting arrogantly, I secretly worried for you, Uncle! Although today's events have caused the Tian clan to suffer a setback, it might also have averted a greater disaster. It's truly a blessing!"

These comforting words greatly relieved Tian Youdao, yet his brows remained furrowed as he sighed, "What you say, Donghe, is indeed reasonable. Zhongqing is not bad; I can rest assured about him. I just worry about those good-for-nothings like Tian Rong; they'll find a way to cause trouble no matter what!"

Tian Youdao flicked his sleeve, stood up, seemingly having made a decision, and said in a deep voice, "I will now enter seclusion to break through. There's no need for further preparations. Staying on this mountain, I can't put my mind at ease. It's better to break through and descend the mountain early, so I can keep an eye on them!"

With that, he cupped his hands towards Chen Donghe and An Zheyin, then waved them off and headed towards the Spirit Spring Cave Abode. As the stone door heavily closed, Chen Donghe set down his jade cup and, looking at the dazed An Zheyin still sitting before him, said gently, "Keep cultivating."

Yu Yufeng flew for a while, riding the wind. His Foundation Establishment stage speed was lightning-fast; in an instant, he exited the Yu family territory, passed over the long and flat An family lands, and flew past the Li family territory.

Below, cooking smoke curled, and chickens crowed and dogs barked, appearing exceptionally prosperous in the hazy morning light. Yu Yufeng was greatly moved by the sight. He performed a quick divination, secretly forming a plan, and slowly murmured, "The Li family's method of raising mortals is truly superior. The land on the outskirts of Dali Mountain isn't inherently fertile, yet they can support so many mortals. If consumed, not only could they heal the wounds on my hands, but they could even help me advance further!"

Yu Yufeng's heart was agitated, but he still understood what was more important. He gritted his teeth and said, "If it weren't for that Sword Immortal's protection, how could I let such delicacies slip away from my grasp? For now, I should first seize that opportunity... Once I break through to the Purple Mansion realm, I'll immediately pledge allegiance to the Azure Pond Sect. Would a mere one or two hundred thousand mortals still be beyond my reach then?"

Thinking this, Yu Yufeng felt delighted. He couldn't help but accelerate, quickly flying over the Li family's territory. He followed the Ancient Li Path westward, and the mystical guidance in his heart became increasingly clear. Yu Yufeng's heart stirred greatly. As his magical power gradually intensified, the sword marks between his palms began to ache faintly again, stimulating him to the point of almost howling.

Yu Yufeng paid no attention to his abnormal reactions and descended on the wind towards the small hill. Unexpectedly, in an instant, a buzzing exploded in his ears, and streaks of magical light shot up. A pure white barrier enveloped the world. Yu Yufeng's mind went blank, and he roared, "Who dares to block my path?! Who dares to seize my opportunity!"

"Heh!" A cold laugh came from the air, a thunder-like voice exploding in Yu Yufeng's ears. "On the verge of death, yet still oblivious, lost in your divine abilities and spells. Yu Yufeng, you truly are a self-righteous good-for-nothing!"

This sentence exploded in Yu Yufeng's ears like thunder. His muddled eyes finally cleared instantly. Yu Yufeng felt as if he had awoken from a long dream, shivering coldly. All his actions from the past half-day rushed into his mind. Yu Yufeng murmured, "I am the Yu family patriarch, and I have connections with Yuanwu Peak! My descendant, Yu Muxian, cultivates within the peak and is a True Person's personal disciple. You all had better think this through carefully!"

Within the formation, no one replied to him. Three figures slowly rose. Yu Yufeng was slightly startled. His spiritual sense swept past, and fear instantly overwhelmed him. He took several steps back, only to find that the entire space—front and back, left and right, north, south, east, and west—was enveloped by the formation. Yu Yufeng was finally shocked by his own muddled actions. He whispered, "Spells... no, it's divine abilities... Which Purple Mansion realm cultivator, which Purple Mansion realm cultivator wants to kill me?"