Ancestor Yan Yang

Boom, boom, boom.

The Blazing Sun Heavenly Fire, hundreds of zhang across, continuously battered the grand array, which was on the verge of collapse.

At the same time, Array Foundations across Ziyang Mountain radiated brilliant light, drawing spiritual qi from the underground spirit veins. The qi was extracted by the Array Foundations and circulated into the Array Patterns throughout the mountain.

The Array Patterns began to operate, rippling like waves across water.

Wave after wave of Terrifying Aura rose and fluctuated, gathering in the void to form terrifying Energy Shields that wrapped around Ziyang Mountain, becoming an unsurpassed defense.

On Ziyang Mountain, Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Qi Refining Cultivators formed hand seals one after another, activating the Array Platforms within the Cave Mansions. They became the array's supports, sustaining its operation.

On Ziyang Mountain, every Cave Mansion was an Array Node.

Under ordinary circumstances, cultivators sat within their Cave Mansions, drawing spiritual qi from the Spirit Apertures to improve their cultivation.

But when enemies invaded, cultivators only needed to return to their Cave Mansions and activate the Array Platforms within to unleash the power of the Mountain Protection Array.

The more cultivators there were, the greater the Mountain Protection Array's power and the harder it was to breach.

At this moment, there were more than a thousand cultivators on Ziyang Mountain, including eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators. They all sat within their Cave Mansions, activating the Array Platforms and pushing the array's power to its utmost limit.

With such a Mountain Protection Array, let alone a mere Purple Mansion cultivator—even a Golden Core cultivator could be resisted for a time.

Boom, boom, boom.

The Blazing Sun Heavenly Fire burned without end, surging forth in waves, determined to breach Ziyang Mountain.

Yet the grand array continued operating, forcibly withstanding the Blazing Sun Heavenly Fire's assault.

In particular, the Mountain Protection Array had been built upon the mountain range. Its Array Patterns were carved into the mountain itself, its Array Foundations established atop the spirit veins, allowing it to draw upon the power of heaven and earth to guard the mountain. There were only three ways to break the array: one was for a top-tier Array Master to find its flaw and break it;

One was for a cultivator to rely on their cultivation and forcibly shatter the array, using strength to break through all methods;

The last was to attack continuously and wear down the array's power.

Boom, boom, boom.

After attacking for some time, Ziyang Mountain remained as steady as ever.

"Fellow Daoist, give up."

At that moment, a voice came from Ziyang Mountain. It was Patriarch Lu Tianming's voice.

"Fellow Daoist, Ziyang Mountain possesses the Rank 3 Ziyang Grand Array, whose defensive power is formidable. With your Purple Mansion Third Layer cultivation, you still cannot hope to break it. I do not know how my Lu Clan has offended you. If the Lu Clan has done wrong, I offer you an apology here."

Lu Tianming's voice was calm and indifferent.

"An apology?"

The Gray-robed Daoist put away the Alchemy Furnace and said coldly, "If apologies were useful, then what would be the point of cultivation? As for what your Lu Clan has done, others may not dare to speak of it, but this old Daoist will speak of a thing or two. Relying on the Purple Mansion Ancestor in your clan, you have dominated Qingshui Commandery. Rather than treating others with kindness, you bully Rogue Cultivators everywhere, throw your weight around in the markets, and let your disciples run wild without regard for rules. Countless cultivators have voiced their grievances and hate your Lu Clan so much their teeth itch. Unfortunately, the Lu Clan is Too strong! With a Purple Mansion Layer 8 Ancestor, outsiders simply cannot defeat you."

"Your Lu Clan also protects its own to the extreme, siding with kin rather than reason. Whenever trouble arises, regardless of right or wrong, you simply charge in and crush others by force. Of course, whether the Lu Clan ran rampant, bullied Rogue Cultivators, or oppressed weak clans, so long as you did not provoke this old man, I could not be bothered to uphold justice on Heaven's behalf.

"Unfortunately, back then, I went to your Lu Clan marketplace to buy pills. Yet before I had even traveled ten li from the gates, I was hunted down by Lu Family cultivators. Your Lu Clan truly has no shame—shopkeepers robbing and killing their customers. Your Lu Clan is truly something else. My poor Dao companion was killed by your Lu Clan while shielding me."

"After I escaped, I swore to destroy your Lu Clan. If your Lu Clan had remained powerful, I would have endured it. But Heaven has eyes: your Lu Family Ancestor was severely injured and may have passed away. This old Daoist has come at just the right time to kill his way into the Lu Clan and wipe out your entire family."

The Gray-robed Daoist sneered, his killing intent surging skyward.

Back then, he had merely been a junior at Qi Refining Layer 4. After narrowly escaping with his life, he had sworn to destroy the Lu Clan and avenge his Dao companion.

At last, the opportunity had come.

"Fellow Daoist, every clan has unworthy descendants and a few scoundrels. Surely you cannot throw out an entire pot of chicken soup just because a few flies fell into it?" Lu Tianming advised. "As for scum, the Lu Clan punishes them without mercy. Whenever we discover one, we kill one."

"More than ten years ago, three Foundation Establishment Cultivators violated the clan rules and were killed by the Ancestor."

"I do not wish to defend anything here. I merely wish to say this: if the Ancestor wished to kill someone, then let the grievance have its debtor and the debt its owner. Kill that cultivator as recompense, but do not implicate the Lu Clan. I am not trying to defend anything; I merely wish to offer Fellow Daoist some compensation."

As the Patriarch spoke, his tone was exceedingly humble.

The Gray-robed Daoist sneered. "The Lu Clan is despicable and shameless. Now that you no longer have a Purple Mansion Ancestor overseeing you, and this old man has come knocking, you humble yourselves and admit fault. But if this old man were merely a Qi Refining Cultivator, coming to demand justice, would you admit fault with a pleasant face? Of course not. You would only say that this wretch had slandered the Lu Clan, then cut this old man down with a single sword."

"As for that old thing severely punishing clan cultivators more than ten years ago, even killing three Foundation Establishment Cultivators... that was only to fool children."

"Old dog of the Lu Clan, look whose head this is."

The Gray-robed Daoist's anger flared slightly. He opened his storage bag and held a head high in his hand.

"Look closely. This is Lu Xuance's head. The old dogs of the Lu Clan speak of putting righteousness above family and conducting themselves openly and honorably, but it is all just to fool children. Back then, Lu Xuance was not killed. He was merely expelled from the clan and sent to another commandery to serve as the Lu Clan's black glove, doing dirty work for the Lu Clan."

"This is the Lu Clan's justice, the Lu Clan's putting righteousness above family... ptu!"

"That is fake. You are slandering my Lu Clan."

Lu Tianming looked at the head, his arm trembling.

Lu Xuance was dead.

This time, he was truly dead.

Unlike last time, when he had feigned death and left.

But this could not be acknowledged. It absolutely could not be acknowledged. Once it was admitted, the Lu Clan would fall into a moral crisis.

Once the Lu Clan itself could no longer stand firm and its foundations became unstable,

The Lu Clan's interior would descend into confusion of thought and internal strife, scattering like loose sand.

"The Lu Clan refuses to admit it? It does not matter whether you admit it or not... This old Daoist came to your door carrying this head, never expecting the Lu Clan to admit anything. So long as my conscience is clear, that is enough."

The Gray-robed Daoist looked toward Ziyang Mountain and sneered. "We cultivators do not seek immortality and undying life; we seek only clarity of thought and freedom in our hearts. If one has a grudge yet does not avenge it, fears one's enemy, and stifles oneself, then such cultivation is not worth having."

"As for your Lu Clan, only that old dog Lu Fuming has some ability. The rest are all petty schemers, neither capable of becoming good men nor ruthless enough to become villains. They have more than enough cunning and calculation, yet lack courage and fierce resolve. Even if the Lu Clan spends a great price to buy two pieces of Purple Sun Jade, you still cannot hope to enter the Purple Mansion Realm."

"This old Daoist has made such a commotion for so long, yet that old dog Lu Fuming has not appeared. It seems he has already passed away. This old Daoist can now destroy the Lu Clan without restraint."

As he spoke, the old Daoist activated the Alchemy Furnace once more. The Blazing Sun Heavenly Fire transformed into billowing flames and swept toward Ziyang Mountain.

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