Chapter 243: Jade Courtyard Surrenders

Chapter 243: Yuting Offers Submission

An Zheyun kowtowed repeatedly, scuffing on the ground. His robes, cap, and belt were all tangled, and he said in terror:

"I... I heard that prodigies often possess miraculous qualities, and consuming them could bestow some of their power. It was a momentary lapse of greed..."

Seeing Li Tongya's expressionless face above him, An Zheyun's eyes lit up. He suddenly understood and cried out:

"There's still some left! There's still some left, my lord, please wait. I made preserved..."

He scrambled to his feet, fumbling around the throne above. He pulled out a gold-inlaid jade treasure box, knelt before the three men, and opened it. Inside were dark red, translucent slices. An Zheyun grinned ingratiatingly:

"This..."

Before An Zheyun could finish speaking, Li Xuanling furiously drew his longsword and struck him with the scabbard. The metal scabbard hit him squarely on the chin, leaving An Zheyun dizzy, his mouth bleeding, and immediately silenced.

Li Tongya's hand, gripping his sword hilt, turned white. His expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a fierce, dragon-snake-like viciousness. His lips trembled for a moment, and he roared:

"Absurd!"

As soon as he spoke, a buzzing, piercing shriek filled everyone's ears, making An Zheyun scream in agony, blood streaming from both his ears. The tightly wrapped longsword on Li Tongya's back, which had never been unsheathed, vibrated intensely, causing the magic swords at the waists of Li Xuanling and Li Xuanxuan on either side to tremble violently.

"Clang!"

The delicate jade box spun on the ground, shattering a corner, and its dark red, oily, translucent contents scattered everywhere. Li Tongya appeared grim and enraged. He, who had not lost control in years, kicked the jade box over, then embraced the Azure Ruler Sword from his back, holding it reassuringly until its buzzing vibration subsided. Only then did he say in a low voice:

"Tie him up. We'll deal with him when An Zheyuan arrives."

"No, my lord, absolutely not! Have mercy!"

An Zheyun knew that falling into An Zheyuan's hands would be worse than death. He was simultaneously shocked and terrified, scrambling to his feet and yelling. He was merely a cultivator at the fifth level of Embryonic Breathing, in the Jade Capital Wheel stage. Li Xuanling struck his Sun Ascension Abode with a palm, making him collapse limply.

Mount Huashan had fallen in an instant. Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng led his group, flying for a while until Mount Yuting slowly appeared before them. The array above it shimmered with light, looking quite robust.

Mount Yuting was narrow at the front and wide at the back, with weak spiritual veins, making it unsuitable for many cultivators. Its terrain was also steep and high, not ideal for mortals. Therefore, when the An family conquered Mount Huashan, they moved their entire clan to the west. Now, only a few Embryonic Breathing cultivators remained on the mountain, a mere handful, watching anxiously from behind the array.

Li Xuanfeng and his companions stopped before the array. He took down the golden-metal longbow slung over his back, nocked an azure-black arrow, and released the string, firing at the grand array.

"Boom!"

Dazzling golden light sped from afar, violently striking the grand array with an explosion that caused a rustle through the forest. The Embryonic Breathing cultivators all recoiled, and the array pulsed with ripples, but managed to hold.

Li Xuanfeng had never intended to break it with a single arrow. He nocked another arrow and drew his bow, releasing a barrage of golden arrows that rained down like meteors, striking the array and causing incessant roars. The array flickered on and off. The array on Mount Huashan had been reinforced after the Yu family conquered it, while the one on Mount Yuting was built by the An family itself long ago, naturally inferior to Mount Huashan's. For a time, the Embryonic Breathing cultivators inside cried out, shouting for their parents.

After a round of deterrence, Li Xuanfeng lowered his bow and stood, subtly inclining his head to signal An Zheyuan. Li Xuanfeng didn't want to destroy the grand array like this; it was a mid-to-high-grade Qi Cultivation level array, costing seventy to eighty spirit stones to construct. Since only a few An family Embryonic Breathing cultivators were inside, if An Zheyuan, the former family head, could persuade them to surrender, the Li family could still use the array.

Receiving Li Xuanfeng's signal, An Zheyuan quickly stepped forward and shouted:

"Are your dog eyes blind?! How dare you block me!"

The Embryonic Breathing cultivators below clearly recognized An Zheyuan, causing an immediate commotion as they argued amongst themselves. After more than ten seconds, finally interrupted by the deterrent shock of Li Xuanfeng's arrow, they pushed forward a white-haired old man who tremblingly approached the edge of the array and called out:

"Is that... An Zheyuan?!"

In the past, if anyone dared to address An Zheyuan in such a manner, he would have been furious and retaliated. Now, however, he seemed oblivious and, to his delight, called back through the array:

"Since Uncle recognizes me! Quickly open the array and let us in."

The white-haired old man was indeed An Zheyuan's uncle, but his talent was poor; he had only reached the third level of Embryonic Breathing. He had lived a long time, over a hundred years old, which was a rare longevity. His old face was quite calm as he stared directly into An Zheyuan's eyes and asked:

"How did the Yu family respond?"

"Yu Yufeng is dead, Li Tongya has broken through to Foundation Establishment, and Mount Huashan is likely already taken. Do not struggle!" An Zheyuan shouted, his eyes wide, immediately causing the wavering Embryonic Breathing cultivators below to become both startled and terrified. They began pushing each other, crying out:

"Yu Yufeng is dead?!"

"How is that possible! A late Foundation Establishment cultivator... just dies?!"

"Why not possible? If Yu Yufeng weren't dead, how would the Li family dare to be so audacious! Bah, bah, bah, the main family... it's the main family..."

Someone was already clamoring for the white-haired old man to open the array. The old man listened to the news and sighed softly. He looked at Li Xuanfeng, holding his bow in the sky, his expression sorrowful and indignant, and whispered:

"You must think carefully. Once this array is opened, the An family will cease to exist. From then on, you and I will be mere fish on the chopping block!"

An Zheyuan's expression showed extreme sorrow and indignation for an incredibly brief moment, then immediately turned resolute. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Uncle! What An family are you talking about! An Zheyun is merely Yu Mugao's running dog, stop deceiving yourself..."

"As early as when Yu Mugao attacked Mount Huashan and my son was forced to commit suicide, and An Zheyun took charge of the family, there was no An family left. It was merely wishful thinking on our part. Joining the Li family will at least give us a chance to rise. If the Yu family takes over, you'll see if that viper Yu Mugao dares to use cultivators not of his own surname!"

The white-haired cultivator sighed softly, understanding the gravity of the situation. He gently tapped the array disk before him, and the array, which had screened off the heavens and earth, flickered slightly, then dispersed into scattered specks of white light between heaven and earth. Immediately, cheers erupted from below, and the Li family's armored warriors and clan soldiers swarmed in, like an ant tide, surging along the mountain paths.

An Zheyuan rejoiced at the sight, descended from the mountain, and carefully put away the array disk. Then he smiled at the white-haired cultivator and said:

"You have rendered great service here. I will surely report your merit to the main family on your behalf, Uncle!"

The other An family cultivators looked over with a mix of admiration and envy. Yet, the white-haired cultivator remained expressionless, only two streams of tears flowing down his face as he wept:

"I... have no face to see my descendants again!"

He then drew his sword and whispered:

"I should have died when the Yu family invaded, but I kept my useful body, concerned for the safety of your main lineage. Now that you have submitted to the Li family, I, too, should die!"

An Zheyuan was greatly alarmed by these words. Unprepared, he quickly took a step forward, but how could he be faster than the white-haired cultivator's swift movement? A white-haired head instantly tumbled down, rolling. An Zheyuan recoiled as if burned, muttering a couple of sentences:

"This... Why did it come to this... Why did it come to this!"

The head bounced twice on the ground, its eyes staring straight and sadly at the sky, then lightly rolled to the young man's feet. Li Xuanfeng's expression was unreadable. He nodded slightly and said in a low voice:

"An Zheyuan, you should give him a proper burial."

An Zheyuan's joy at returning to Mount Yuting vanished completely. His face was full of exhaustion, and he still muttered:

"Why did it come to this..."

Li Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow, his sharp eyes piercing him like a sword. He said in a low voice:

"Family annexations are never peaceful affairs. At your age, you've somehow regained the naive habits of a pampered youth! You don't realize that the spiritual veins of these five immortal mountains on the South Bank..."

Li Xuanfeng paused, his eyebrow subtly raised. Before his eyes flashed the bloody scene from when he was seven, and his father, Li Xiangping, disappeared: himself crawling among piles of corpses with a small wooden bow. He spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes shining.

"The rugged mountains and rustling forests are watered by the tears of countless talented heroes, and the endless flow... is the damned flesh and blood of the six great clans!"