Chapter 256: Old Friends Reunite

Almost half a month had passed since the disturbance caused by the Li family. The autumn colors around the lake grew increasingly vibrant, the water deepened, and the shores, ablaze with red and yellow hues, began to hint at the coming chill.

Having gained benefits, the Fei family remained quietly on the north shore. Jiang Heqian, fearing that Yu Xiaogui and Yu Yufeng might ambush him seeking revenge, no longer appeared on the east bank. The Yu family silently tended to their wounds in a corner. For a while, an unexpected calm settled over the area; apart from the desolate, silent ruins of the Yu family's collapsed market town, everything seemed peaceful.

"How are things progressing?" Yu Mugao sat at the head of the hall, his face etched with fatigue and a gloomy expression, yet a faint sense of relief lingered in his voice. He rested one hand on his forehead, while the other gently tapped a pen on the table where a recently opened envelope lay. He addressed the person seated below him.

"Elder Xiao Ou is indeed dead," the person below reported. "We confiscated the numerous properties of those individuals on charges of colluding with the enemy, and there was no opposition." A faint flash of reluctance crossed Yu Mugao's face. Yu Xiao Ou had, after all, watched him grow up. Yu Mugao had initially hoped that more of these 'useless' people would perish in Lijing Mountain, but he had not anticipated that the Fei family's attack on Yuting Garrison would also claim Yu Xiao Ou.

With too many direct descendants and cultivators of the Yu family having perished in the market town, both the local area and the clan were thrown into significant turmoil. Yu Mugao seized the opportunity presented by the death of Yu Xiao Ou, a leading figure among the old clan elders, to take decisive action against his uncles and cousins. This drastic clean-up effectively purged the family of these "parasites," and surprisingly, the Yu family now exuded an unprecedented vitality.

"It's for the best; I won't have to convince Father to abandon the market town anymore." Yu Mugao felt a wave of relief despite losing the market town. The words "Qingchi" on the letter in his hand caught his eye. He mused inwardly:

"The Old Ancestor likely won't return... and Father is in seclusion. The family has finally fallen into my hands. Without those fools, it's much more comfortable."

Yu family resources, which previously flowed to his uncles and cousins, also had to be paid as tribute and used to support Yu Yufeng. Now, with two fewer drains on their resources, Yu Mugao suddenly found himself with much more leeway. Yu Yufeng's life was likely beyond saving, but Yu Mugao felt little sadness, merely lamenting:

"If only these people had been removed forty years earlier, and if Father and the Old Ancestor hadn't pointlessly pursued those blood sacrifices and lake gatherings, obeying me instead, we wouldn't have suffered such a massive loss!"

Yu Mugao looked at the young cultivators he had promoted, feeling quite confident. The previous Yu family, though powerful, had its authority fragmented and its resources drained by Yu Yufeng, forcing Yu Mugao to submit. Now, though the Yu family was not as strong as before, it was *his* family, controlled solely by him.

"Once I've consolidated power for two years... as long as Muxian remains on Yuanwu Peak, I can certainly amuse myself with Li Xuanxuan and Fei Yihe..."

Yu Mugao slowly lowered the letter, his eyes intently fixed on the words. He gently traced them with a vermilion brush. The warm, comfortable autumn sun cast a golden glow upon the paper, making the red ink appear like blood.

"He hasn't returned for decades, nor has there been any word... Master once said the Southern Barbarian Demon King enjoys consuming moonlight essence; I fear he may be in distress."

"Senior Brother will be coming to the lake... I will enter seclusion, with Foundation Establishment within reach."

"Brother Xuanfeng! I heard that an esteemed elder of your clan recently achieved Foundation Establishment. My sincerest congratulations!" Liu Changdie flew leisurely on the wind, his eyes gleaming at the resplendent Jin Geng longbow on Li Xuanfeng's back. While offering his congratulations aloud, he thought inwardly:

"This bow must be the Jin Geng! In my previous life, when I reinforced the formations for the Qingchi Sect, during a monster attack, I only saw a golden flash, never the bow itself. Now, I'm truly getting to feast my eyes!"

Li Xuanfeng chuckled, replying, "Brother Changdie is always so well-informed. You flatter me."

Liu Changdie simply observed Li Xuanfeng's aura, realizing he had already reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation. He admired and sighed, then congratulated him, "Brother Xuanfeng, you're not even thirty-five yet, are you? At the seventh level of Qi Condensation, you'll likely be able to attempt a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment by your forties or fifties!"

Li Xuanfeng simply smiled. Then, with a sharp lift of his eyebrow, he replied, "Brother Changdie is no slouch either; at the sixth level of Qi Condensation now, Foundation Establishment is within your grasp."

After exchanging mutual compliments, Huaqian Mountain appeared beneath their feet. Li Xuanfeng led Liu Changdie into the compound, where a black-clad youth, light on his feet, came forward to greet them, bowing with clasped hands. "Greetings, Senior!" he said.

Dressed in black, this person had a well-defined face and slightly narrow eyes, exuding an inherent fierce aura. It was Li Yuanjiao. Liu Changdie, recognizing him instantly, swallowed the "Brother Jiao" that almost escaped his lips, his expression peculiar, as Li Xuanfeng introduced:

"This is Li Yuanjiao, the son of my elder brother, Li Xuanxuan. He is currently cultivating on Huaqian Mountain!"

Upon seeing the young man, Liu Changdie felt a blend of awkwardness and the joy of encountering an old acquaintance. He quickly forced a smile and said, "Please, you absolutely cannot call me Senior! I find Yuanjiao's bearing exceptionally outstanding, and I hold him in great admiration. We should address each other as peers... as peers..."

Li Xuanfeng's expression turned slightly odd. He and Liu Changdie addressed each other as brothers, yet Liu Changdie insisted on treating Li Yuanjiao as a peer. Wouldn't that completely confuse their generational ranks? He fell silent for a moment. Li Yuanjiao, having only just arrived at Huaqian Mountain, was even more bewildered and repeatedly protested that he was unworthy.

Unable to argue further, Liu Changdie conceded, "Since Brother Xuanfeng is present, let's leave it. But privately, Brother Yuanjiao and I can address each other as peers."

Li Xuanfeng could only nod, then transmitted a message to Li Yuanjiao using his spiritual energy: "Liu Changdie is good-natured and highly skilled in array formations. However, he is quite eccentric; as long as it's harmless, just humor him..."

They all took their seats, and servants brought tea. Li Xuanfeng wasted no time, getting straight to the point: "Fellow Daoist Changdie, if we were to set up an array here on Huaqian Mountain, what kind of power could it achieve, considering the local ley lines and spiritual energy? And how many spirit stones would it cost?"

Liu Changdie nodded and replied, "I had already observed this a few years ago when I set up the Sun Ritual Profound Light Array on Lijing Mountain. Huaqian Mountain's ley lines are incomplete in several sections, and the area is low-lying. Only Wan Huaqian, back in the day, could have established an array here capable of resisting cultivators at the peak of Qi Condensation."

He gave a bitter smile and replied, "I once thought I could rival Wan Huaqian, but upon seeing Huaqian Mountain, I now understand that Wan Huaqian's mastery of array formations surpasses mine. If I were to set it up, it would likely only be powerful enough to resist cultivators in the late Qi Condensation stage, and probably wouldn't last even a single incense stick's time against a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

Li Xuanfeng mentally calculated the distance from Lijing Mountain to Huaqian Mountain, concluding that one incense stick's time would be more than ample. He then replied, "One incense stick's time is quite enough. How many spirit stones would it cost?"

Seeing Li Xuanfeng's agreement, Liu Changdie nodded and said, "If your esteemed clan doesn't have spare formation flags, we can only use a formation plate. With Wan Huaqian's successful precedent, I can set it up following the 'Earth Lock Huaqian' method. It would require approximately fifty to sixty spirit stones."

Li Xuanfeng was no longer the inexperienced youth he once was; he immediately recognized the incredibly low price. He merely furrowed his brows and asked, "If it's only fifty or sixty spirit stones, Brother Changdie, will there still be any profit for you?!"