Chapter 120: The Catastrophe That Wiped Out a Family

Boom!

In an instant, a raging inferno storm expanded twenty meters, engulfing Senior Brother Jiang and his companions. From the fiery core came the muffled roars and cries of a Spirit Refinement stage immortal cultivator, soon drowned out and extinguished.

Xu Xuan was blasted several yards away by the powerful shockwave, somersaulting midair before landing lightly on the ground.

Gazing intently, he saw the Xu family residence, painstakingly established in the town, shatter under the ferocious flames. Layers peeled away, reduced to drifting ashes carried off by the wind.

A third-grade spirit talisman—wiping out a formidable Spirit Refinement level immortal with a mere flick—yet sorrow clouded Xu Xuan’s face. His hands clenched tightly, trembling slightly. “My strength is still far from enough. Otherwise, I would never have destroyed my own home with my own hands.”

Indeed, his power was still insufficient.

It was much like back then at the Great Xu Family’s mining site, when his father endured the scorching whip lashes from Xu Dahu, while Xu Xuan himself was powerless to intervene.

Though Xu Xuan had undergone earth-shattering changes since then, he still seemed insignificant compared to colossal forces like the Eastern Family.

“The last third-grade spirit talisman... wasted just like that...” the lingering soul of his past life murmured regretfully.

Xu Xuan harbored no regret, only a fierce hatred that he had not killed enough, not hard enough.

The remnant soul fell silent, no longer arguing: this life’s Xu Xuan remained as tenacious and steadfast as ever, but harbored a sacred core in his heart—an inviolable territory, like the reverse scale of a dragon. Compared to his former life, he was a bit more impassioned and impulsive. Perhaps it was this very spark that enabled his fire-affinity physiology to comprehend a tenth transformation surpassing his past self.

Time to go.

Without lingering, Xu Xuan soared away, his figure dissolving into the night. By the time other law enforcement immortals arrived, only ruins and rubble remained, leaving onlookers dumbfounded and exchanging stunned glances.

Leaving Pinghua Town behind, Xu Xuan’s next destination was Fengyu Sect.

As he approached Xingyu Mountain, a strong unease stirred deep within him. The spiritual energy fluctuations in the world were unusually intense, and a faint aura of destruction lingered.

Upon reaching Xingyu Mountain, he looked up to see flickering flames within the mountain gate, accompanied by sounds of battle. Above the two sects, brilliant magical lights streaked across the night sky like dazzling meteors.

“I’m still too late!” Xu Xuan felt a chill run down his spine.

...

Above the Infinite Abyss, where the two sects met, hovered a massive Thousand-Feather Sailship, glowing faintly with azure light. Multicolored radiance shimmered over its surface, while seven or eight large flying magical artifacts surrounded it like planets circling a star.

Each of these flying artifacts was no smaller than Fengyu Sect’s Azure Water Boat, guarded by two Spirit Refinement stage immortals, carrying twenty or so cultivators of Qi Refinement third layer or above.

From these vessels, cultivators descended intermittently, storming into the mountain gates of both sects.

Countless magical light beams, like colorful rain, rained down from the sky, stirring up a thousand waves within the gates. Many spiritual pavilions and halls were engulfed in flames, some exploded violently; everywhere they passed, scorched black and strewn with debris.

Within Fengyu Sect, agonized screams pierced the air. Outer disciples stood no chance in such a fierce battle amongst true cultivators.

“I... I can’t die...” Xu Yuan trembled all over, terror etched on his face as he hid inside a pavilion, flames licking closer by the moment.

Outside, the sky alternated between storms of hail, roaring flames, and thunderclaps—an apocalyptic scene that forbade him from revealing himself.

Fortunately, the outer gate was not the main target. The flying artifacts in the sky slowly pressed toward the sect’s core.

At this moment, many Fengyu elders, high-ranking disciples, and inner disciples were cornered within a few hundred yards before the Qiankun Hall.

A layer of sky-blue light barrier bore the brunt of the magical assaults from above—this was Fengyu Sect’s last sanctuary. Should this core formation be breached, the sect would face utter eradication.

“Hahaha... today marks the extinction of the Xingyu Mountain branch,” laughed Dongfang Ba, standing boldly at the ship’s bow, howling to the sky.

Within the central pavilion of the sailship, a dignified middle-aged man in yellow robes issued a grave admonition: “Ba’er, martial cultivation is most about sparring and fighting to strengthen yourself. This kind of sect war near Huanglong City is rare. Fight alongside your father and hone your battle experience well.”

“Greetings, Head of the Family!” the cultivators around bowed respectfully.

This yellow-robed man was none other than the patriarch of the Eastern Family.

“Yes, Father! I look forward to fighting alongside you,” Dongfang Ba’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he leapt forward, soaring through the air toward Fengyu Sect.

Whoosh—

The Eastern Family patriarch transformed into a streak of yellow light, leading several Spirit Refinement cultivators toward Qiankun Hall.

Bang! Bang! Boom!

The sky-blue light barrier around Qiankun Hall wavered and rippled.

“Not good! The one coming is Dongfang Wei, the Eastern Family patriarch! Senior Brother Lu, Yue’er! Lead some true disciples out—Fengyu Sect cannot be wiped out like this—”

The Fengyu Sect’s Sect Master shouted urgently, leading a few elders to fly beyond the formation’s boundary to confront the attackers.

“Sect Master, be careful!” Senior Uncle Lu cried out, boarding a flying artifact with Yu Qin, heading out of the mountain gate.

“Take care, my husband,” Lady He Yue’s bright eyes brimmed with tears as she flew away with Le Feng.

At the same time, Yun Yuanhang, the eldest senior brother, surged ahead with several inner disciples, charging out of the gate.

In the void, Sect Master Fengyu and the remaining elders battled Dongfang Wei and his forces fiercely.

Crack!

Dongfang Wei unleashed a palm strike, a golden luminous dragon roaring fiercely. The nearby void grew heavy and oppressive. Sect Master Fengyu’s expression tightened. The spiritual artifact in his hand transformed into hundreds of white feathered lights but was shattered by the attack. He staggered back, groaned, and spat blood.

A Sect Master-level figure wounded by a single blow.

“Dongfang Wei, I didn’t expect you to have reached the ninth layer of Spirit Refinement and nearly stepped into the Nascent Core stage. But today, even if I die, I won’t let you off easy.”

Sect Master Fengyu wiped the blood from his lips, eyes flashing with resolute ferocity. His spiritual power flared like a blazing flame, surging upward in a pale blue-white inferno as he wielded his artifact to charge again.

“Hmph, a mere seventh layer Spirit Refinement cultivator. Back in the day, I slew many like you,” Dongfang Wei laughed loudly, brandishing a long sword etched with azure dragons, flying toward Sect Master Fengyu.

Clang! Clang! Bang!

Before Qiankun Hall, Fengyu’s elders fought desperately against Dongfang Wei and his forces. Due to their numerical disadvantage, one Spirit Refinement elder fell quickly, and the others suffered heavy casualties.

“Ba’er, lead a few to hunt down the survivors. Let not one escape,” Dongfang Wei commanded loudly, pushing Sect Master Fengyu back with his sword.

Judging by the current situation, the extinction of both sect branches at Xingyu Mountain was only a matter of time.

“Hahaha! None shall escape!” Dongfang Ba led two Spirit Refinement experts in pursuit of the fleeing Lady He Yue, Senior Uncle Lu, and others.

“Let me block their way, you run first,” Senior Uncle Lu gritted his teeth, handing Yu Qin to Lady He Yue before turning to face Dongfang Ba’s trio.

“Master...” Yu Qin’s eyes reddened as Lady He Yue hurried her away from the mountain.

“Sister Yu, for now, breaking through the encirclement and preserving your life is crucial. We cannot let the elders’ sacrifices be in vain,” Le Feng urged anxiously.

Under Lady He Yue’s protection, the disciples seized every moment to flee beyond the mountain gate.

The sky above rumbled continuously, as dazzling magical lights and the potent true energy of martial cultivators intertwined, dimming the bright moon.

...

Veiled by night, Xu Xuan stealthily climbed the mountain, worry flickering in his eyes. “I hope Sister Yu is safe.”

Within Fengyu Sect, she was the only one he truly feared losing. Thinking of her innocence and kindness amidst this apocalypse-like battle, his heart could not rest.

“Heh, such a barely manageable minor sect war, and your luck is still this bad,” came the soft chuckle of his past life’s lingering soul.

Just as Xu Xuan prepared to speak, a faint voice reached his ears.

“Help me...”

Amid the flames consuming a pavilion, a familiar voice called out.

“Xu Yuan?”

Xu Xuan was startled, leapt forward, and rescued him from the burning hall.

“My heavens, what happened? What disaster has the sect encountered?”

Xu Yuan trembled violently, gazing fearfully at the rumbling night sky illuminated as bright as day by countless dazzling lights.

“This is a sect war. Unfortunately, we little ants ran into it,” Xu Xuan said gravely, lips curving bitterly.

At this moment, the entire mountain seemed to tremble faintly beneath his feet.

“Sect war?” Xu Yuan was terrified—he had never witnessed anything like this before.

“Run quickly. Whether you live or die depends on your luck,” Xu Xuan said, having no time to spare as he cautiously pressed upward.

Along the way, he constantly dodged magical light beams falling from the sky, rolling and weaving like an eel.

Also caught in this disaster was the opposing Starfall Sword Sect.

Though their numbers were small, most were above Qi Refinement stage. As sword cultivators, they fought bravely alongside the Eastern Family’s forces.

Upon reaching halfway up the mountain, Xu Xuan finally saw several familiar figures—Lady He Yue, Yu Qin, Le Feng, Yun Yuanhang, Yang Xiaoqian...

About ten in all, fleeing downward.

From afar, Xu Xuan spotted Yu Qin and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah...”

At that moment, Senior Uncle Lu, who was blocking Dongfang Ba’s three men, screamed and fell from midair.

“Master!” Yu Qin’s eyes filled with tears, her pale face trembling.

Senior Uncle Lu did not last long against the three Spirit Refinement experts. After severely injuring one Eastern Family immortal cultivator, he fell on the spot.

“I’m holding them off. You all run—” Lady He Yue’s graceful yet resolute face appeared as she hovered midair, blocking Dongfang Ba’s three attackers.

“Tsk tsk, so you must be the famed beauty of Fengyu Sect, ‘Lady He Yue’,” Dongfang Ba licked his lips, appraising her slender figure coldly. “Attack!”

“Master...” Le Feng looked back sorrowfully, eyes moist.

“Run! Fengyu Sect’s future depends on you!” Yun Yuanhang shouted, leading the remaining few downward.

Just reaching the mid-mountain, the group was surprised to see Xu Xuan.

“Senior Brother Xu!” Yu Qin’s reddened eyes brightened with a mix of joy and surprise as she hurried forward.

(Today’s first update is complete. Thank you all for your votes and generous support...)