Guiding Them Back to the Mountain, Tianfu's Death

The crimson glow of dawn had vanished from Taichang Market; the sky was gloomy, making the market appear darker than ever before.

It seems that the influence of the North River True Lord's Cultivation Method is still ongoing.

One can imagine how powerful the Nascent Soul is.

The Green River Sect cultivators had already retreated far away, leaving behind only a devastated landscape.

Clearly, the war is over, Green River Sect, Taiyi Sect, Medicine King Valley have reached a tacit agreement.

Although the True Lord's promise is unknown to the public, it is estimated that it will be revealed one by one in the next few years.

Ceding territory or losing money are both possibilities.

Ye Jingcheng piloted the Spirit Boat and landed in front of Taichang Market.

His low shout also attracted the attention of many cultivators.

Those who landed here at this moment were either cultivators from the Taiyi Sect or cultivators from various major Lineage.

Instead of mocking or ridiculing, everyone felt deep compassion.

Although the Taiyi Sect's leader, Ziming, ultimately turned the tide and stabilized the battle.

But for the major Lineage, they had already lost.

Many high-level Foundation Establishment from Lineage have died, and some have even died at the Purple Mansion.

Not to mention the internal energy cultivation involved.

This includes families like the Kong Family, Jin Family, and Zhang Family Lineage, all of whom suffered heavy losses.

Even the strongholds of the three major Lineage may have already been breached.

Those who fail to break through will subsequently fall under the suspicion of the Taiyi Sect.

Once the Spirit Boat came to a stop, a group of the Ye Family cultivators dressed in white robes landed, and Ye Jingyun, Ye Jingyong, and others also walked out from inside.

They arrived ahead of time with the cultivators from Jade Dragon Valley, in the same group as Ye Jingteng and others.

They were simply blocked on the road, but there were no casualties.

Looking at the extremely heavy-hearted Ye Jingcheng and the others, Ye Jingyun bowed repeatedly and cried out in pain.

"Master, Jingyun is useless. Please punish him!"

"Where is Uncle Xingyi's mangled body?" Ye Jingcheng asked, his face filled with grief, his tone more sorrowful than ever before.

At this moment, it seemed as if the sky itself was wailing, the Dark Clouds churning even more violently and becoming even more oppressive.

Further away, rain was falling.

The constant dripping is so annoying.

However, Taichang Market really needs a torrential downpour.

"Here!" Ye Jingyun stepped aside. Behind him, Ye Qingfu was holding a box and several Storage Bags, his eyes already filled with tears.

He murmured:

"Uncle Xingyi, the patriarch has come to fetch us!"

Ye Jingcheng stepped forward and took the box; clearly, Ye Xingyi and Ye Xingqing's bodies had been burned to ashes.

For the Ye Family, it's best not to leave a complete corpse for cultivators with Beast-Link Mark, even though the Ye Family has researched that the Beast-Link Mark will immediately dissipate once a cultivator dies.

It won't have much of an impact, but for the Ye Family, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

It's inevitable that they might be turned into blood corpses or some kind of Secret Method by Evil Cultivator.

Then some clues were discovered.

"Patriarch, Uncle Jinghao, Uncle Jingxian, and Brother Qingxuan have been arrested!" Ye Qingfu added after seeing that Ye Jingcheng had already taken the ashes and coffin of Ye Xingyi and Ye Xingqing.

Ye Jingcheng had guessed it too, but fortunately, although these three knew that Lineage was not simple, they did not know in what way.

They knew nothing about the Beast-Link Mark, nor about the hidden cultivators of the Ye Family.

Moreover, it seems that to prevent the Ye Family from taking them back, the soul tablets of the three have now been shattered.

It was clear that they killed him after searching his soul.

"They are the Xun Family and the Yan Family from Returning Goose Commandery. I recognize them. Uncle Xingyi usually introduces us to cultivators from other Lineage!" Ye Qingfu added confidently.

Ye Jingcheng nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, Qingfu, I promise you, one day I will crush the Yan Family and the Xun Family!" Ye Jingcheng made a firm promise, though of course, it was only in his heart that no one else could hear.

He agreed.

Sooner or later, all the beasts will trample Green River, and the entire Green River Sect will repent for what happened today!

The Yan Family and Xun Families are merely pawns in the open; the Green River Sect is the true culprit.

"Summon the soul, guide the way, return to the mountain!" Ye Jingcheng called out in a loud voice.

Zi Huan, Master Tianzhen, and Taihao Master had arrived at some point.

None of them spoke, and Ye Jingcheng's eyes remained cold.

They wanted to speak, but for some reason, they found Ye Jingcheng's eyes terrifying today.

"Senior Brother Ye, Uncle Tianfu is injured!" It was Zihuan Fairy finally spoke up.

"It's very serious."

She did manage to save Ye Qingfu after all.

Upon hearing this, Ye Jingcheng nodded repeatedly:

Thank you!

After saying that, Ye Jingcheng kowtowed repeatedly in the direction of Illusion Peak.

"Master, your disciple is unfilial. I should have gone up to the peak to visit you, but today I am dressed in mourning clothes to keep vigil for my uncle, and I am afraid of displeasing you!"

"I will kowtow three times today. After I return from mourning and finish my Lineage affairs, I will then fulfill my filial duty to you, Master!" Ye Jingcheng said, kowtowing three times.

No one said that Tianfu True Person was no longer capable.

Naturally, Ye Jingcheng didn't need to go up the mountain because of Tianfu True Person's matter.

As for the hints from the crowd, Ye Jingcheng pretended not to know them at the moment.

Besides, he now has a valid argument and evidence!

For normal cultivators, even if they begin to dissipate their spiritual energy, they still have several months to survive.

Both Ye Haiyun and Ye Haitian share this view.

So after Ye Jingcheng kowtowed three times today, the Spirit Boat took off again!

Ye Jingcheng stood up and bowed again.

Finally, he looked at Taihao Master and Master Tianzhen:

"My two senior brothers, I am incompetent and unable to arrive in time, which has led to this terrible outcome. Once I have fully fulfilled my filial duties, I will definitely apologize with a bundle of thorns on my back!" Ye Jingcheng shouted.

Ye Jingyun, standing nearby, suddenly added:

"Master, I have already informed some of my fellow cultivators about your wedding..."

"This matter is no longer worth mentioning!" Ye Jingcheng glared at him.

Then they boarded the Spirit Boat directly.

He took out a second-tier Spirit Boat; the third-tier Spirit Boat had already been returned to Chen Yan.

He landed at the bow of the boat, his expression tragic, forcing a smile.

"Uncle Xingyi, you're home. Your term is over!" Ye Jingcheng said with a smile.

Then she called out, "Aunt Xingqing, we're all going home!"

With that, Ye Jingcheng led the Ye Family members on the Spirit Boat toward Soaring Cloud Peak in Taihang Commandery.

The Lineage and cultivators of Taichang Commandery were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

Yes, Ye Jingcheng was telling the sect that he was first the head of the Ye Family, and only later Registered Disciple of Tianfu True Person.

Moreover, all the proper etiquette has been observed today, and there is no one to explain anything.

The only thing is that Ye Jingcheng didn't report to the mountain gate.

But since Chen Yan and Ye Jingcheng were always together, his verbal account could be of great help.

As for whether Chen Yan will tell the truth.

It doesn't matter at all, because the Spirit-Inquiring Talisman can be checked one by one.

For Ye Jingcheng, once he returned to the Taichang Mountain Range, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then came the vigil, the wedding, and the journey itself— Tianfu True Person simply couldn't hide it from anyone, nor could he endure it all.

That would arouse suspicion from the Taiyi Sect.

A cautious person like Tianfu True Person would never arouse Taiyi Sect.

The Spirit Boat sailed straight onto the spirit field wilderness without anyone stopping it or sending a message.

Ye Jingcheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief. If someone were behind him at that moment, they would have noticed that he had wiped a handful of cold sweat from his back.

He had just sensed the Divine Sense of True Person.

That's why he rushed to Taihang Commandery without stopping for a moment.

"Patriarch..." Ye Jingli to the side, wanted to ask something.

But Ye Jingcheng glared at him fiercely, Ye Jingli immediately shut his mouth.

Although this distance has already transcended the Divine Sense of True Person, it has absolutely not transcended the Divine Sense of Nascent Soul.

If they were to speak carelessly and happen to be overheard by that Nascent Soul True Lord, the Ye Family would be in real trouble.

As he spoke, Ye Jingcheng continued to kneel before the wooden coffin on the Spirit Boat, and Ye Jingyun Ye Jingli, seeing this, also knelt down beside him.

Besides the three, Ye Qingfu was also surprisingly present. He knelt to the side, his forehead buried deep in the ground, and tears streamed down his face.

"Cultivators are not heartless, they just hide it better than ordinary people." Ye Jingcheng didn't know which elder in his Lineage had said this, but it was indeed the best description of this moment.

The Spirit Boat drifted leisurely, heading towards Taihang Commandery.

Because it was a second-tier spirit boat, it took ten days before the outline of the Ye family's Lingyun Peak could be seen in the distance.

The sun had already set behind the other side of Soaring Cloud Peak.

Ye Jinghu of the Ye Family activated his Array.

On the Spirit Boat, Ye Jingcheng finally stood up.

He knelt there for ten days, as did Ye Jingyun and Ye Jingli.

Once they reached the summit, Ye Jingcheng had the bells and drums of the Ye family's Lingyun Peak ring out. Ye Jingcheng and all the members of the Ye family then lined up and walked Ye Xingyi up the mountain.

Once they reached the mountain, Ye Jingcheng went into the Lineage Ancestral Shrine and went through all the procedures before beginning his vigil.

After everyone else left, Ye Jingcheng released Ye Xuecang, Ye Xuecang then landed to the side.

"Second Grand Uncle, I think this round is won. We just need to wait for the Dragon Ancestor to continue his assault on Jade Dragon Valley, or sweep through Lion King Ridge..."

After listening to Ye Jingcheng's description for a long time, Ye Xuecang nodded.

"Tell the Lineage members not to Beast Communion these days. Also, have Jingyun exaggerate the Lineage's losses to dampen the morale of the Ye Family. In addition, have Jingli start traveling to the Lineage in Taihang Commandery for the wedding in a month..." Ye Xuecang added one by one.

Ye Jingcheng nodded repeatedly. Although he had been thinking about it for a long time, having another person consider it would make it more comprehensive.

As time went on, things gradually calmed down, and Chu Yanqing was sent to Taicang Azure Cloud Nunnery.

She prepared herself for her new role and waited for Ye Jingcheng to come and fetch her.

Moreover, Azure Cloud Nunnery already had a female cultivator named Chu Qing, so they could continue using the name Chu Qing.

It's just that the word "cigarette" can no longer be used.

And on the fifth day of the vigil.

Fifteen days after Ye Jingcheng returned to Soaring Cloud Peak, a cultivator hurriedly arrived outside Soaring Cloud Peak.

It was none other than Jiang Jinghe, the Ward Master Jiang.

"Ward Master Jiang, you've come today?" Ye Jingyun was the one who greeted him; Ye Jingcheng was still keeping vigil and naturally couldn't come out.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, I have come to inform you of two things!"

"Firstly, Tianfu True Person has passed away, and he asked the sect to pass on a message to Senior Ye!"

"Tianfu True Person said he doesn't blame Senior Ye, and only feels a little guilty towards him, since he didn't teach him much. He left some treasures for Senior Ye, and when Senior Ye goes to pay his respects, Tianzhen will bestow them upon him on behalf of his master!" Jiang Jinghe said enthusiastically.

Then he spoke again:

"Secondly, it is a cause for celebration that Senior Ye has broken through to the Purple Mansion. From now on, he will become an outer sect steward of the Taiyi Sect. Today, we are presenting him with the Taiyi Sect's Daoist robe and Taiyi Sect's token. In the future, he will be able to slightly mobilize the Taiyi Sect disciples of the Taiyi Sect in the Eastern Region and will have Taiyi Sect's exchange rights..." Jiang Jinghe continued.

After discussing the two matters, Ye Jingyun warmly welcomed Jiang Jinghe and treated him with great hospitality.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, may I also be allowed to enter your ancestral Ancestral Shrine to pay my respects to our Ye Family?" Jiang Jinghe said politely at the end.

"Of course!" Before long, Ye Jingyun led Jiang Jinghe into the Ancestral Shrine, where Ye Jingcheng was still Ancestral Shrine.

Jiang Jinghe entered the Ancestral Shrine and also began to offer sacrifices.

After the worship ceremony, Ye Jingcheng looked at Jiang Jinghe.

"Senior Ye, you must already know about the matter of Tianfu True Person. I will not repeat it here, but this is a sect rule of the Taiyi Sect. I hope Fellow Daoist Ye will make Heavenly Dao Oath!" Jiang Jinghe said.

Ye Jingcheng was not surprised to hear this, as all the Taiyi Sects would make their affiliated forces Heavenly Dao Oath.

The oath is that one must not betray the Taiyi Sect.

The others, however, are extremely lenient.

After checking and finding no difference from the others, Ye Jingcheng also made a vow.

This oath is only for the individual; if the Ye Family becomes powerful in the future, other members of the Ye Family will naturally step in.

Furthermore, if the Taiyi Sect actively persecutes the Ye Family, this Heavenly Dao Oath will also become invalid.

Of course, if they don't establish it, then they will be considered Evil Cultivators according to the Taiyi Sect, Ye Family will never have a good life in the future.

This is why sects sometimes trust their Lineage more.

The Lineage is adept at handling affairs, yet they are wary of anything happening to ordinary Lineage members, and they also have Heavenly Dao Oath.

Therefore, even if the Wan Family, Cheng Family, Jiang Family, and others rebel this time, they will not be able to join the attack on the Taiyi Sect.

The only option is to exploit loopholes to target other affiliated forces of the Taiyi Sect.

Or they just dawdle, going through the motions without putting in any real effort!

After Ye Jingcheng made his Heavenly Dao Oath, Jiang Jinghe left.

As he left, the latter's eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions; initially, it was his duty, but now it was his personal feelings that were taking hold.

After all, when Ye Jingcheng first met Jiang Jinghe more than forty years ago, the latter was already at the Foundation Establishment, and at that time Ye Jingcheng called Jiang Jinghe" senior".

Today, Ye Jingcheng has broken through to the Purple Mansion, while Jiang Jinghe is still at the Foundation Establishment.

The distinction between senior and junior has completely changed.

Ye Jingcheng breathed a sigh of relief at this moment. Although he had been chatting with Jiang Jinghe for a long time, he was extremely nervous inside.

Now, everyone who enters the Ancestral Shrine could be an imposter, Tianfu True Person.

Now, upon learning of Tianfu True Person's death, he is prompted to travel to the Taihang Mountain Range once again.

The Taihang True Person left him a treasure, which also made him extremely hesitant.

However, he certainly won't go now.

There are still two days left in the vigil, and his wedding has already been arranged. It's not appropriate to use a funeral rite to bring good fortune, unless a Golden Core True Person comes to fetch him.

Otherwise, it would take him more than twenty days to make the round trip.

It's been delayed for a long time.

After all, he currently only has a second-tier top-grade Spirit Boat, not a third-tier Treasure Ark.

Two more days passed, and on that day, a member of the Ye Family who hadn't been seen for many days suddenly appeared in front of the Ancestral Shrine.

Clan Elders such as Ye Xingming were guarding the entrance to the Ancestral Shrine.

"Jingqi, what brings you here?"

"Uncle Xingming, I heard that Uncle Xingyi has passed away. I wanted to commemorate him. Back then, Uncle Xingyi was the kindest to me. It was also Uncle Xingyi who organized the Ascension Ceremony, allowing me to obtain Spirit Roots..."