Chapter 319: Welcoming

Rain and snow drifted down on Han Yun Peak, landing on the young man's white robe as his bright eyes intently watched the intricate patterns of the Cloud Gathering Array of the Southern Heaven.

The Fei brothers did not keep Li Tongya waiting. In just a dozen breaths, the shimmering white light of the Cloud Gathering Array of the Southern Heaven quickly faded, and a person emerged from within the array to greet them.

This person had a gentle face and a cultivation of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. His appearance bore some resemblance to Fei Wangbai. He rode the wind to meet them, respectfully performed a deep bow, and said with lowered eyes:

“Junior Fei Wangjiang greets Senior! Senior, your sword strike eliminated Yu Xiaogui and rescued our clan. Your great kindness will never be forgotten...”

Li Tongya waved his hand upon hearing this, and replied:

“Daoist Wangbai and I share a good friendship. It is only natural for our two families to support each other.”

Fei Wangjiang, already middle-aged, dared not be careless towards Li Tongya's sixteen or seventeen-year-old appearance. He respectfully led him down, and the two gracefully descended onto the mountaintop.

The peak of Han Yun Peak was already crowded with Fei family members, from cultivators over a hundred years old to young children who had just reached the Fetal Breath stage. They wept and shed tears, then all knelt down, saying in unison:

“Welcome, Ancestor...”

Li Tongya stepped aside to avoid the full bow, then advanced with his sword. Two young men came forward to greet him. The leader, twenty-five or twenty-six years old, had a face like jade, appeared somewhat uneasy, and wore a gray robe. He bowed and said:

“Junior Fei Tongyu greets Ancestor!”

Li Tongya's gaze swept over the haggard faces of the Fei family members. In the past, they were light and elegant in white robes, an immortal clan of the snow mountains. Now, everyone was overwhelmed with grief, appearing utterly lifeless.

“Rise.”

Only then did he notice that the Fei family, who habitually favored white robes, had hastily changed into gray ones. The children's clothes were poorly fitted, suggesting they had just been put on, likely out of fear of clashing with his own white robe.

“As I came up here... why is Daoist Wangbai not present...”

Li Tongya opened his mouth, his heart skipping a beat, and asked, knowing full well the answer.

“Ancestor... he is gone!”

As soon as Li Tongya mentioned Fei Wangbai, the Fei family members immediately broke into sobs. Fearing he would be disturbed, Fei Tongyu quickly led Li Tongya into the courtyard.

The white-robed young man stood holding his sword, listening as Fei Tongyu rambled on about the circumstances surrounding Fei Wangbai's death. Only then did he respectfully bow, step forward, look at the dark lacquer coffin, and gently push it.

“Creak...”

Gentle light fell upon Fei Wangbai's dignified face. Fei Tongyu had arranged his clothes neatly, and his complexion was as it had been in life. Li Tongya pushed aside the white cloth and stared at the terrible wound.

“Who else cultivates the Jian Dao Jin?”

Li Tongya asked gently. Fei Tongyu hesitated for a moment, as the spiritual roots of their immortal foundation were originally a secret of their clan. However, Li Tongya had just saved the Fei family, and their entire family's lives were in his hands, so he had no choice but to speak:

“Our clan records mention the Jade Courtyard General and Green Jade Cliff Daoist who achieved integration with the Dao... As for the others... I do not know.”

“Jade Courtyard General...”

Li Tongya suddenly understood. These immortal foundations around the lake were indeed of the same origin. No wonder Yu Yufeng had been killed earlier, and now Fei Wangbai had died within a few years...

Fei Wangbai's meaningful gaze at the Yu family lake gathering that year was still vivid in his mind. Now, he had become a cold, lifeless corpse. Li Tongya felt a chill in his heart and mused to himself:

“The Vast Ocean of the 'River and Qi Unification Art' and the Jade Courtyard General of the 'White-Headed Kowtow Scripture' should be cultivated sparingly. Even if one masters them, they should not attempt Foundation Establishment...”

“Xiao Chuting is on good terms with my family, and when the Lingyu Gate fell, many cultivation methods were disseminated. Many cultivate the Vast Ocean, which is somewhat better. However, this Jade Courtyard General must absolutely not be cultivated!”

Meanwhile, Fei Tongyu, seeing his silence, thought he had recognized something. With tearful eyes, he stepped forward and replied:

“Our family has also operated on the northern shore for many years, interacting with the Three Sects and Seven Gates, and several powers in Xu State. But we simply cannot figure out this person's origin!”

“There are no major sword-wielding sects in Yue State either! It must be a sword cultivator from the Three Sects and Seven Gates... But the Longxiao Gate is grand and magnificent, the Tangjin Gate has unparalleled sharpness, and the Ziyan Gate moves like a long rainbow. None of them match...”

Fei Tongyu felt deeply uneasy, looking at Li Tongya with hopeful eyes. The hatred in his heart was like a raging river, yet he had nowhere to direct it. He only hoped to get a definite answer from Li Tongya.

He and his brother had secretly discussed the matter. After sifting through possibilities, they even turned their suspicions to Li Chijing from Southern Xinjiang. However, they had also heard that Li Chijing's sword was like moonlight, graceful as wind, which still did not match.

“Could it be that our Ancestor... unintentionally offended some Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator...”

Listening to Fei Tongyu finish his tearful account, Li Tongya gently raised his hand. He stroked the wound on Fei Wangbai's neck, and as if grasping a swimming fish, he pinched out a faint white sword light.

The sword light possessed its own sentience, darting and leaping in his hand, constantly striking his palm, yet unable to escape. Li Tongya joined two fingers, and it took him a full two breaths to grind it away.

“This person's sword mastery is still above mine.”

Li Tongya slowly closed his eyes. In his mind, the people from the Three Sects and Seven Gates he had seen at Xiao Chuting's dharma assembly that year appeared one by one. He murmured:

“Ethereal and transcendent, yet endlessly regenerating.”

He suddenly paused, and after a long moment, let out a long breath. He turned to look at Fei Tongyu and said gently:

“This person presumed your family would absolutely not recognize him, and thus only killed Daoist Wangbai.”

Although Fei Tongyu was somewhat soft-hearted, he was by no means foolish. Hearing Li Tongya's words, his heart instantly felt hollow. He said in a hoarse voice:

“Junior understands.”

As the two conversed, Fei Wangbai's corpse and head within the coffin, no longer obstructed by sword qi, slowly began to reassemble automatically. His dim, lifeless eyes slowly opened.

Li Tongya and Fei Tongyu were both accustomed to such sights. The bodies of Foundation Establishment cultivators, nourished by their immortal foundation, were extraordinary, comparable to common spiritual treasures. If exposed to dark places for a long time, they could even nurture strange phenomena.

“How does your esteemed clan plan to handle Daoist Wangbai's body?”

Li Tongya asked gently, and saw Fei Tongyu respectfully raise his head and reply:

“Our family has always cultivated the Jian Dao Jin, and a total of three ancestors have successively achieved Foundation Establishment. There is an existing precedent.”

“For the first three years, the Jian Dao Jin causes the cultivator's teeth, hair, and nails to fall off one by one, transforming into jade, while their eyes turn into cinnabar. For the next three years, their skin and flesh transform into gauze and brocade, and their internal organs become gold and silver. After another three years, the remaining parts turn into mercury, leaving nothing behind.”

Li Tongya nodded slightly, a thoughtful expression on his handsome face. Having cultivated for many years, he had also heard rumors of these Foundation Establishment transformations. He then saw Fei Tongyu respectfully say:

“Afterward, according to the custom, all these transformed materials are collected in a jade box, to be worshipped by the clan members.”

“It is good to have a precedent.”

Li Tongya nodded. After all, he had a friendship with Fei Wangbai. The Fei family was currently in a time of crisis, and he was not sure if they might use his body for some unsavory purposes. Now that he had heard Fei Tongyu's clear explanation, he felt relieved.

Thus, he closed the coffin lid, took two steps down, bowed once more, and said softly:

“Everyone, come in.”

As he spoke, the courtyard gate automatically creaked open. Fei Wangjiang and Fei Tongxiao stepped in together, bowing respectfully.

“They're here!”

Fei Tongyu's heart stirred greatly. He waited nervously for Li Tongya to speak, clenching and unclenching the talisman in his sleeve. He knew full well that this was like a joke to Li Tongya, but a deep sorrow welled up in his heart.

“If the Fei family perishes today, blood must be spilled on the spot. The family is in my hands... I can only commit suicide to atone to the clan... My brother Xiao's talent is far superior to mine. With his protection, the family might lie dormant for a hundred years... and perhaps one day rise again.”