The Sect Leader Returns

--On the way to Ying Prefecture

The clouds above the sky were dark and gloomy, and the thunder within seemed to be about to burst forth, making Fei Nanying's face appear even more sinister and terrifying.

Fei Shuhe stood by, watching blankly; she could only watch. Fei Wanqing held her older sister's hand, equally unable to utter a word.

Her small mouth gaped open in surprise as she stared at the imposing, broad-faced man in front of her, her eyes gleaming with astonishment.

Fei Nanxi remained silent, only staring coldly at Kang Dabao, unsure whether it was because the latter's words had offended her ancestor, or because she simply wanted to watch Fei Nanying.

"Ancestor Ye Shui personally granted your request, agreeing to summon you and bestow upon you good fortune. Kang Dabao, yet you tell me you're not going this time?"

Fei Nanying's face remained expressionless, but his tone was icy, a sight rarely seen by the other four present. His words silenced the two women, while Fei Nanxi held her breath, remaining silent and awaiting Kang Dabao's response.

But the latter looked fearful and put on a timid appearance:

"This humble one is dull-witted and slow-thinking, yet I have been fortunate enough to receive the care of my Boyue -in-law and the guidance of my ancestor, enabling me to travel to Ying Prefecture and meet your true face. I am deeply grateful and will repay your kindness tenfold! But,"

At this point, the fear on Sect Leader Kang Da's face lessened slightly, his back straightened a bit, revealing a more cheerful and easygoing demeanor, and he continued:

"Though our sect is small, it is truly the continuation of our ancestors' blood and sweat, and we must not let it be cut off in my hands; though our disciples are many, they are all the apple of my eye, and I cannot bear to watch them perish at the hands of bandits! I beg you, Boyue, to understand, there must be something fishy about this, I must go back and save them!"

Fei Nanying silent for a long time, but Fei Nanxi, seeing this, scoffed, "Indeed bold."

"Cousin."

Upon hearing Fei Nanxi 'Fei Nanying's smile faded, and he offered a slight apology with his hands clasped. He then remained silent, simply watching to see what the latter would do.

The prefectural magistrate's fierce eyes swept over the standing Fei Household son-in-law several times before he spoke in a deep voice:

You've already read Zhu Tong's letter, so I won't go into details. With your intelligence, you should know that this situation is difficult to break. The Fei Household especially cannot intervene at this crucial moment, lest they give others ammunition and be falsely accused.

Therefore, even if you go back alone, you may not be able to accomplish anything. The Daoist Black Shoes is a mean and ungrateful person, and he probably won't help this time either. So you'll be left in a predicament, not only losing your future but also risking your own safety.

Even if you showed some talent in front of the Earl of Nan'an, now that Five Old Mothers Mountain and the direct descendants of the Yang Household family have met their end, I know the Kuang Household's character all too well. He certainly won't protect you! This is indeed not a wise move. I've said all I have to say. If you go back on your word, I'll pretend you said nothing.

You need not worry about your reputation. This remote and impoverished Cloud Horn Prefecture is far inferior to Ying Prefecture, so there is no need to linger here. Go Gui Household and cultivate diligently. My family will provide you with the necessary resources for your cultivation and will not treat you as a son-in-law. As long as you do not slack off, you may be able to attempt to Core Formation within a hundred years.

"At that time, the Immortal Dynasty may bestow titles and high-ranking official positions upon you. You can then relinquish your burdens and become a carefree immortal. My Fei Household can also help you establish your lineage and become the ancestor of a powerful family in the fertile lands surrounding the capital. Is this future too good to be true?"

Fei Nanying this, the entire room fell silent.

Fei Nanxi finally showed some surprise, firstly because he hadn't expected Fei Nanying to promise such a promising future. Many of these matters were beyond the control of a junior Fei Household like himself, and to speak of them now would be presumptuous.

Secondly, the latter, who has never been considered kind-hearted, actually dared to utter such a long and earnest speech to persuade her, which made Fei Nanxi look at this unassuming son-in-law of the Fei Household with even greater respect.

He glanced at Kang Dabao for a while, then turned his gaze back to the latter's wife.

Fei Shuhe's eyes welled up with tears, and her plump body trembled slightly. Fei Wanqing carefully supported her sister, but her gaze was drawn to her brother-in-law, who had stood out from the first meeting, wondering how he would react to her words.

"Boyue has gone to such lengths, thinking of me. But, as the Chongming Sect, I cannot refuse to return!"

"Fool." Fei Nanying was clearly a little surprised, and his expression was hard to describe. Most people could only see a mixture of admiration, blame, praise, and disdain in his face, and felt that even the most skilled painter would find it difficult to depict.

He was clearly not the only one who was surprised.

Fei Nanxi's expression changed, Fei Wanqing felt a sense of awe, and Fei Shuhe stopped crying. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, leading her to blurt out, "Then I'll go back too!"

"Elder sister!"

"No!"

"You bastard!"

Fei Nanying a stern shout and reached out to pull the two women behind him.

Kang Dabao's face showed surprise at first, but then he calmed down. He didn't speak, but simply bowed deeply to Fei Shuhe as a sign of gratitude. Fei Nanxi also saw Fei Shuhe's intelligent nature, and a flash of appreciation crossed her eyes.

"I've tried everything to persuade you, but nothing works. You might as well go back." Fei Nanying's tone was flat, showing no emotional fluctuation.

After responding, Kang Dabao bowed once more as a sincere thank you, glanced at Fei Shuhe once more, then turned away resolutely without looking back.

The four members of the Fei Household stood there for a while, making no significant movements. They simply watched as the imposing figure gradually turned into a black dot until it disappeared from sight.

After a long pause, it was Fei Nanxi who spoke first, his tone now tinged with admiration. "My cousin's son-in-law is indeed a man of deep affection and integrity, a rare and precious quality."

Fei Nanying's feelings were complicated. He didn't see his daughter blush, nor did he care about the mistakes in Fei Nanxi's words. He simply replied softly, "He has brought this upon himself. I wanted to save him, but he is stubborn and unrepentant. Who knows what the future holds? His star shuttle is still fast enough; he might be able to reach the end of the battle."

Fei Nanxi laughed, "Elder Juntian Bird Qin also sent a letter. Perhaps my cousin could ask him for help. If he were to intervene, even Kuang Liuting, who has formed Upper-Grade Golden Core, would have to think for a while before deciding whether he dares to turn against my family."

Fei Nanying shook his head, which was considered an acceptance.

Before Zhu Tong arrived, the message from Elder Juntian Bird Qinzong had already come first. The second-in-command of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household was quite unruly in his letter. The tricks of the Yue Household were not considered clever in the eyes of this ancient bird, which only made the old man quite angry.

In its letter, it stated bluntly that if it went, it could first wipe out the entire Han City Yue Household. Not to mention the Demon Correction Office and the Enchantresses, it guaranteed that not a single one of them would be left alive.

At that time, all the conspiracies, tricks, and schemes will fall apart on their own, saving everyone the trouble of trying to break the deadlock.

It was said that there was no need to fear Kuang Liuting's resentment. The reason why the Kuang family could remain stationed in the Kuang Household and sit firmly on the throne was because of the protection of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household and other powerful families in the capital region. However, Kuang Liuting had not yet Core Formation, yet he had already become involved with Five Old Mothers Mountain in Mountain North Circuit, which was indeed a taboo.

If we take this matter seriously and make it escalate, even the three members of the imperial clan True Person find it difficult to control.

After all, the twenty-nine circuits and more than four hundred prefectures and counties of the empire have been in chaos for so long, and the nearly one hundred prefectures and counties of the Capital Circuit have been silent for far too long. Perhaps this has made the Kuang Household somewhat forget that they are still in a chaotic world. Even as descendants of the founding emperor, they should be facing the cold glint of swords at all times!

What Elder Juntian Bird Qinzong said seemed absurd, but upon closer examination, it made sense. However, it was completely contrary to the purpose of Elder Ye Shui's heavy bet on Kuang Liuting, Fei Nanying to it.

The Han City Yue Household was, after all, just a respectable family from a border region. Since the founding ancestor of the Two Instruments Sect, they had been in decline for countless years.

It's utterly laughable that family members are narrow-minded, ignorant, and slow-witted.

Yue Lin thought that his annihilation of the Chongming Sect was a great slap in the face to the people from the capital, but he did not know that he had already attracted the attention of Five Old Mothers Mountain of Two Rivers Circuit, who regarded the Han City Yue Household as a springboard to step into the muddy Cloud Horn Prefecture, and he would suffer in the future.

The Fei Household is not powerless to break the deadlock; they simply need to observe the situation and devise a strategy. These matters can be dealt with after Fei Nanying returns from Ying Prefecture.

"Let's go. What my Fei Household lacks is a son-in-law with a bright future, not a son-in-law with deep feelings. Let's just leave it to fate." Fei Nanying shook his head. The remaining three had different thoughts and remained silent.

Fei Wanqing watched Fei Shuhe weeping, her eyes fixed on the direction where no one was anymore. She murmured to herself, "My sister has always been extremely intelligent."

----Outside the Learning Forest Mountain

Ye Zhengwen, wielding his Ruyi Spirit Artifact, fought for a short while under the guise of a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a long spear, but soon found himself at a disadvantage.

This Ruyi was not the one he had nurtured to perfection during his Qi Refinement, but rather a mid-grade Spirit Artifact that Jiang Qing had carefully selected for him from some dead man's Storage Bag.

Although its rank was high and it was quite useful, it was still at a disadvantage against the long spear Spirit Artifact that the Foundation Establishment in the opposite robe had nurtured for many years.

This is understandable, as he is not known for his fighting skills, his cultivation Cultivation Method is only at the Desolate Tier, and he has not been cultivating for long. His cultivation level is also inferior to his Fang Yi's, so it is reasonable that he was suddenly defeated.

This Foundation Establishment in short robes came from the Chengshan Sect, a small sect in Tanggu County with three Foundation Establishment cultivators in charge.

Although he was only an early-stage cultivator, having only been at the Foundation Establishment for twenty or thirty years, he could be considered the top figure in the sect. However, when he first fought Ye Zhengwen, he was still somewhat apprehensive.

After all, he had recently witnessed two Foundation Establishment from Yin Wind Valley die at the hands of Yuan Jin, and he had also seen Jiang Qing kill two mid-stage cultivators, forcing Ye Zhen, the renowned leader of the Book and Sword Gate, to flee in defeat.

He assumed that all the Chongming Sect Foundation Establishment of Chongming Sect were like Jiang Qing, with superb Swordsmanship, and like Yuan Jin, with unruly and madman-like skills. However, after fighting Ye Zhengwen for a while, he gave up this idea.

"This one-eyed fellow is a waste of his large stature and such a fine Spirit Artifact; his martial arts skills are so weak, like a naked old woman without a bra—utterly useless. I only need to activate my Spirit Artifact..."

The Foundation Establishment the short shirt, who was only halfway through his thought, heard a gust of wind beside his ear. He also saw Ye Zhengwen, who was being beaten, with an undisguised glint in his single eye. How could he not know that a villain had come to his aid at this moment?!

He was indeed decisive. He immediately spurred his long spear, Ruyi the jade shards in Ye Zhengwen's hand to fly everywhere. He then pulled it out from behind his back, slapped several talismans on his body, and summoned a top-grade magic Law Artifact, an inkstone, for protection.

His decisive action temporarily saved his life. Zhang Qingran used a mid -Fei Shuhe Spirit Artifact, the Comet Whip, which Fei Shuhe had specially chosen for her, to kill four or five Qi Refinement cultivators. Then, she flipped her wrist and pinched her slender fingers several times.

The Comet Whip, dotted with red stars and displaying spiritual patterns, lashed out at the Foundation Establishment in short robes. The force of the whip was so strong that even though the latter was a veteran of many battles, he was still caught off guard and his face was ripped apart by the sudden wind.

The wounds were so deep that bone was visible, and streams of blood flowed down, revealing rows of teeth. Although his injuries were not life-threatening, he looked extremely disheveled to outsiders.

Only after the strong wind subsided did the Law Artifact Foundation Establishment in the short shirt take effect.

Don't be fooled by Zhang Qingran's helpless state on the couch, where she was completely at the Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, there was a fierce aura on this battlefield. Even though he was Foundation Establishment in short robes and had experienced countless battles, his cultivation level was still low and his Law Artifact was inferior. When he was suddenly attacked, he naturally suffered a loss.

He relied solely on experience to fight, and his Cultivation Method were only average. The inkstone he wielded was merely a top-grade magic Law Artifact, which shattered instantly when struck by the Comet Whip. He only survived thanks to a few talismans.

He retreated temporarily, and with a final swipe of his long spear, he forced the Comet Whip, which had not yet gained enough advantage, to retreat. He then withdrew and disappeared into the formation.

Ye Zhengwen and Zhang Qingran were not discouraged. Which of the Foundation Establishment in Bianzhou hadn't come out of piles of corpses? How could they be easy to kill? It would be a rare thing for someone like Jiang Qing to kill one by one with a single sword strike.

Once the Foundation Establishment in short robes entered the formation, Ye and Zhang could not linger. After a short while, another Foundation Establishment from the Chengshan Sect, leading a neatly arranged group of about four hundred cultivators, pressed forward.

Arrows and crossbows exploded nearby, and swords, spears, and halberds rained down, forcing Ye and Zhang to hasten their footwork to barely evade the attacks.

At this moment, Yuan Xiyue stepped forward with her Gold Skin Silver E to block the attack. This Spirit Artifact was passed down from Original Response Temple and bore the marks of several abbots. Although it was strange, it was very useful.

She slightly activated the Wisdom Consort Dharma Image, murmuring a series of profound and obscure scriptures. The holy and majestic Buddhist sound, accompanied by the sound of drums, entered the ears of the opposing cultivators, causing them to feel a burning sensation from their lower abdomens.

Apart from the Foundation Establishment led the formation and those who had short robes and were also Foundation Establishment cultivators, whose eyes still held clarity, all the other cultivators had unfocused eyes and dry mouths.

Three out of the ten pavilions had already been cleared of fighting, let alone the cultivators who were now all drooling and had no fighting power left.

Knowing the power of the Foundation Establishment leading the formation, he waved his command flag, and twelve imposing cultivators carrying life-sized drums in the formation immediately began to beat the war drums.

Strangely enough, despite the thunderous drumbeats that were deafening, they still couldn't drown out the golden-faced hand drum in Yuan Xiyue's hands. The cultivators in the formation couldn't maintain their clarity and remained in a state of confusion.

However, the Chongming Sect did not let the opportunity slip by. As soon as Yuan Xiyue's drum sounded, Yuan Jin had already heard it keenly. As soon as the Six-Leaf Azure Lotus Great Banner moved, a group from the Double Brightness formation, led by Duan Anle, rushed forward.

One side's morale had collapsed, while the other's fighting spirit was at its peak. Even though Double Brightness's forces were slightly outnumbered, how could Chengshan Sect possibly withstand them at this moment?

Chengshan Sect's second Foundation Establishment cultivator was no less astute in assessing the situation as others; with only eleven of his troops lost, he immediately urged a retreat. Another Foundation Establishment from the Chengshan Sect, having received instructions from Tie Xishan, led reinforcements to their aid.

Seeing this, Tie Xishui abandoned the main force he was facing and Yuan Jin's, entrusting it to the only remaining mid-stage cultivator from the Demon -Demon Correction Office, and led a strong army to charge over.

As the three forces of the Demon Correction Office Division converged, seventy-two Qi Refinement cultivators sounded seventy-two life-sized war drums. The drumbeats thundered like a raging river, their momentum overwhelming and impossible to contain.

Yuan Xiyue's Gold Skin Silver E was finally broken, causing a trace of crimson to spill from her mouth, adding to her beauty.

As soon as the shouts ceased, the Chengshan Sect's troops rallied considerably. Furthermore, the Alchemist in the Tie Xishui Formation sprinkled elixir water and lit battle incense. In just a short while, the Double Brightness troops, who were outnumbered, were surrounded.

Given this situation, Zhang Qingran and Ye Zhengwen naturally had to stop and risk coming to their aid.

However, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Chengshan Sect had developed a tacit understanding over the years, and even the heavily injured Yuan Xiyue and Ye Zhengwen, when they joined forces, were somewhat outmatched and were at a slight disadvantage.

Tie Xishui was considered particularly formidable among early-stage cultivators, even Zhang Qingran's Comet Whip was difficult to suppress, and they could only fight each other to a standstill.

After fighting for about fifteen minutes, Yuan Xiyue was once again found to have an opening by the Foundation Establishment Long Spear in the short shirt. Blood lines appeared on her snow-white wrist, and the Gold Skin Silver E almost fell down.

Having suffered repeated blows, the female cultivator couldn't help but show a conflicted expression. After a few breaths, the silver disc in her hand transformed into a round disc, smashing the foundation -Foundation Establishment Law Artifact of the Chengshan Sect into pieces. His entire chest caved in before she finally retreated.

Zhang Qingran and Tie Xishui were evenly matched to begin with, and seeing this situation, their will to fight wavered.

Seeing this, Tie Xishui made a show of not giving up and charged forward desperately, which terrified the female cultivator so much that she immediately gave up the idea of fighting again. She used a few talismans to cover her retreat, called out to Ye Zhengwen, and then fled in defeat.

In this situation, Ye Zhengwen absolutely cannot be allowed to live. He couldn't even defeat the Foundation Establishment in short robes from the Chengshan Sect, how could he possibly fight against four of his peers?! The Foundation Establishment in charge of the formation suffered a great loss at Yuan Xiyue's hands, so naturally he wanted to get some interest back from Ye Zhengwen.

However, the Chongming Sect's forces were already deeply entrenched in the enemy lines. Unlike the two women before him, he was not merely acquainted with Sect Leader Kang Da. As an elder of Double Brightness, his primary responsibility was to cover his own forces' retreat back to the main formation before he could retreat.

The saying goes, "If one man risks his life, the entire army will flee."

The Chongming Sect's troops had been trained by Sect Leader Kang Da to be quite disciplined, but Duan Anle launched a surprise attack in front of them and had no time to retreat. Although he was incredibly brave in the formation, he was targeted by the Foundation Establishment in short robes.

The cultivator's fierce eyebrows shot up, and with a sharp shout, he swung his long spear.

The long spear was sharp and gleaming, first breaking through the former's two Second Tier talismans, then tearing his robes, leaving no intact flesh on his chest.

At the critical moment, it was Ye Zhengwen who risked his life to come to the rescue, carrying two or three Spirit Artifacts. Although he was only at the Foundation Establishment, he had become the target of everyone's attention. Which of the three Foundation Establishment below Tie Xishui was willing to take their eyes off him?

Duan Anle was indeed gone, but Ye Zhengwen was struck by Tie Xishui, causing him to lose his Spirit Artifact and vomit hot blood. His chest was caved in even more severely than that of a Foundation Establishment, his flesh and blood were mangled, and his breathing was heavy. It was unclear whether he was still alive.

At this critical juncture, the battle between Jiang Qing and Gu Honglang has also taken a turn for the better.

Jiang Qing was ultimately defeated due to his slightly inferior cultivation level; the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword showed its weakness under the combined attack of Gu Honglang's two top-grade Spirit Artifact.

With a "clang," the flying sword in Jiang Qing's hand landed on the ground. Just as the joy on Gu Honglang's face was about to show, he heard a sound like thunder exploding in his ears, which made his whole body go numb!

"You old thief, stop hurting my brother! Fight me!"