Chapter Fifty-Three: The Collapse of Feng Tianwu

Feng Tianwu rose to her feet, her gaze unwilling as she looked at Feng Qinghe. Within Feng Qinghe’s body, the Feng Core spun ceaselessly, radiating light and warmth, spiritual energy surging through her veins.

At that moment, Qin Junwei quietly took out the Qin family crest from his robes, muttering incantations under his breath. A stream of black mist surged from the Qin family crest, flying toward the dueling ground and You Xiyue.

You Xiyue rested her chin on her hand, watching Qin Junwei’s furtive movements with a leisurely air. Qin Junwei’s lips were just curling into a sly grin when he met You Xiyue’s gaze and froze instantly.

“You—”

Jun Yang leaned over, blocking Qin Junwei’s view of You Xiyue, and pointed at the strange pattern You Xiyue had drawn on the table. “You think this is just for fun? We’ve been on guard against you from the start.”

When You Xiyue and Jun Yang had entered the dueling ground, they’d sensed Qin Junwei’s trickery—he had activated a forbidden spell around the arena and You Xiyue’s seat, hoping to control both You Xiyue and Feng Qinghe.

Qin Junwei tried to leave, but Jun Yang blocked him, swiftly snatching the family crest from Qin Junwei’s robes and tossing it toward the still-glowing Feng clan crest in the arena. “Old man, since you’ve come out, do something useful.”

The phoenix on the Feng clan crest flapped its wings, and a crimson fire lotus shot toward the Qin family crest. The Qin family spirit, caught unawares, was instantly surrounded and bound by the sudden flames.

“Stop! Don’t!” Qin Junwei tried to rush forward to save it, only for Jun Yang to kick him off the judges’ platform.

The Feng clan’s innate Red Lotus Karma Fire quickly incinerated the Qin family spirit, leaving nothing behind. Qin Junwei, sprawled on the ground, visibly aged with every breath until he finally grew still.

The disciples of Purple Cliff Hall watched in shock. Feng Tianwu and Feng Tianyang could hardly accept what they had witnessed.

“Why did you kill my master’s ancestor?!” Feng Tianyang drew his sword, pointing it at Jun Yang.

Jun Yang narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond, Ye Linyi stepped forward, venting a day’s worth of frustration on Feng Tianyang. “You brat, shut your mouth. So what if we killed your master’s ancestor? If you didn’t share a surname with my senior brother, I’d want to wipe out your entire ancestral line—!”

Ye Linyi kicked Feng Tianyang repeatedly, only stopping after a good while. “If it weren’t for my senior brother’s sake, I’d have crippled you on the spot.”

Feng Tianwu rushed down from the arena, gathering her battered brother in her arms and shouting at Ye Linyi, “Are you not taking this too far?!”

The elders of the Feng clan were at a loss in the face of such sudden turmoil.

At last, Feng Qinghe and the Feng clan spirit achieved a full pact. However, the Feng clan crest didn’t fly directly into Feng Qinghe’s hand; instead, it shot out a beam of golden light. The light broke into countless stars, scattering over every member of the Feng clan.

At first, the clan members were puzzled, but their expressions soon darkened. The censure on Feng Tianwu’s face cracked as the scene played out in her mind: her own father, Feng Yanhua, committing atrocities against the former clan chief, Feng Anlin.

Feng Tianyang, forgetting his pain, kept repeating, “It’s not true! Father couldn’t have done this! It’s a lie!”

The Feng clan members’ expressions grew increasingly complex, and the murmurs around Feng Tianwu and Feng Tianyang rose. The youngest, Feng Tianjiao, fainted outright. Feng You clenched his fists, slapping his leg before laughing bitterly at the irony of the clan’s history.

Feng Qinghe leapt down from the arena, catching the crest as it fell from the air. She swept a cold glance at Feng Tianwu and Feng Tianyang. “Did I hide the clan crest? No. The clan spirit refused to acknowledge Feng Yanhua and would not return to the clan or to his hand.”

Yan Qingye, rather excited by the colorful drama unfolding among the Feng clan, sidled over to Feng Qinghe and added, twisting the knife, “Did you not know? If a family crest refuses to stay with someone, it will escape on its own, no matter how it’s confined. Why did it stay in my senior brother’s pouch all these years, and why did it come out to save him at the crucial moment? Feng Tianwu, what right did you have to try to kill my senior brother?”

Huge tears spilled from Feng Tianwu’s eyes. The shock was too much; the father she had idolized since childhood was now revealed as the villain who murdered the former clan chief.

Feng Tianyang shook his head frantically, hysterical. “I don’t believe it! You’re lying! You killed my master’s ancestor!”

“Beyond saving,” Yan Qingye snorted, unwilling to waste breath on Feng Tianyang.

Ming Chen Yu stood and walked to Feng Qinghe’s side, clapped her on the shoulder, and lifted a jade slip to contact Ming Chengwu.

“Yu’er? What is it? Did your senior brother win?”

Ming Chen Yu ignored the question and spoke in a voice that carried across the hall, “Qin Junwei, head of the Qin family on the thirty-second level continent, used forbidden soul-control techniques to manipulate non-direct descendants from the five great families who joined Purple Cliff Hall. The Qin family spirit had already fallen into demonic corruption and was destroyed by the Feng clan spirit. Qin Junwei is dead. All non-direct descendants of the five families and Qin clan members in Purple Cliff Hall must be dealt with at once. Convene a council of the upper realm elders, Father.”

Ming Chengwu took a while to digest the stunning news. “Very well. When will you return?”

“Tomorrow.” Ming Chen Yu cut off the connection and looked around at everyone.

The Feng clan and Purple Cliff Hall disciples were all dumbfounded. So the destruction of the Qin family spirit was because it had already fallen to demonic corruption!

To fall into demonic corruption was to lose the chance of reincarnation, an unforgivable crime—was there any reason not to kill?

No one dared question any further.

Feng Tianyang, however, was shattered, unable to accept the truth. Raving, he ran out of the Feng residence. Feng Tianwu, seeing her brother flee, knew she could not leave him to his fate and chased after him, lest disaster strike.

The third elder of the Feng clan approached Feng Qinghe, awkwardly. “Qinghe, no—Clan Leader, about Tianwu and the others…”

“So long as they do no further harm, the Feng clan can still accept them,” Feng Qinghe replied coolly.

The third elder sighed. He had watched the siblings grow up and felt a pang of regret. But what did it matter if the clan accepted them? A glance at the faces around them made it clear—the days ahead would not be easy for Feng Tianwu and her siblings.

Relief finally blossomed in Feng Qinghe’s heart. She hurried to search for You Xiyue, but could not find her, nor was there any sign of Jun Yang.

“Where is Master?” Feng Qinghe grabbed Yan Qingye, anxious.

“Little Master?” Yan Qingye searched several times, even releasing his spiritual sense, but found nothing.

Seeing their worry, Ming Chen Yu came over. “What’s wrong?”

“Little Master is missing!”

“Master is missing!”

They spoke in unison.

“What?” Ye Linyi, hearing the commotion, rushed over. “She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, would she?”

Yan Qingye shook his head desperately. “No, she wouldn’t! Never!”

The group burst out of the Feng residence, searching the world for three days, but found no trace of You Xiyue.