Yan Mountain Affairs (III)

Ji An of Snow Dragon Mountain, carrying the Daoist Hanyang cultivation had been completely destroyed, reappeared in the sky above Snow Dragon Mountain.

This time, he did not release the pressure of the Primordial Spirit level, but with his arrival, the entire Snow Dragon Mountain was instantly shrouded in deathly silence.

The disciples of Snow Dragon Mountain all looked up in terror at the two figures suspended in mid-air.

Looking at the miserable state of their own Primordial Spirit, and considering that the other ancestor had not yet appeared, as well as the unchanging aura around Ji An, they understood that their two backers had both fallen.

In an instant, Ji An's divine sense covered the entire Snow Dragon Mountain, accurately locking onto the location of Han Yang Daoist's cave dwelling - Snow Yang Peak.

Inside a luxurious palace atop the mountain, Dong Qi waited leisurely.

"I wonder which fool dares to come to my Snow Dragon Mountain to provoke me—" Dong Qi sneered. In his opinion, the imposing figure just now was at most on par with the Snow Feather Ancestor. But if his grandfather, Daoist Hanyang, were added to the mix, that person would have no chance of winning.

Suddenly, an irresistible and mysterious wave swept over him, enveloping him.

Dong Qi felt the scene before him suddenly distort, and before he could even react, his figure vanished into thin air from the palace.

In the next instant, Dong Qi fell awkwardly onto the snow outside Snow Dragon Mountain.

He looked up, still shaken, and the first thing he saw was Ji An's cold and icy face. Then, he saw the figure hovering to Ji An's left—his greatest support, his own grandfather, Daoist Hanyang!

"Grandpa?!" Dong Qi was struck dumb, fear instantly engulfing his entire body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

"Dong Qi?" Ji An's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling aura. "More than a decade ago, you instigated others to cause the death of my uncle Yuchi Shan, and severely damaged my mother, Yuchi Xue's, vital essence. Do you know your crime?"

"No--it wasn't me--I didn't--" Dong Qi collapsed to the ground, stammering incoherently as she tried to explain.

He wasn't deliberately making excuses; rather, in his eyes, the old incident about Ji An's parents from over a decade ago was nothing more than a trivial matter, one he had long since forgotten.

Ji An was too lazy to waste words with him, so he raised his hand and pressed down in the air.

"Puff--!"

A Sharp Metal sword aura pierced through the air, instantly penetrating Dong Qi's dantian and destroying his Violet Palace.

Dong Qi's cultivation level rapidly declined like a deflated balloon, and in the blink of an eye, he became a cripple who was even worse than an ordinary mortal.

"Dong'er--" The Daoist Hanyang, suspended in mid-air, looked at his crippled grandson and could only sigh and shake his head helplessly.

Having lived for hundreds of years, the Primordial Spirit Daoist finally understood that if he hadn't been so indulgent and spoiled towards his grandson all these years, he would never have ended up like this. Unfortunately, it was all too late for regrets.

Ji An coldly glanced at Dong Qi and Daoist Hanyang. His goal for this trip had already been achieved: to find the culprits from back then and bring them back to his parents so they could kowtow and admit their mistakes.

"They're quite sensible," Ji An commented casually. With a slight thought, he used his Divine Consciousness to envelop the two of them. The "Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings" on his back gently vibrated, transforming into a streak of Flowing Light and speeding away into the distance.

Inside the Ji Clan's council hall in Myriad Swords City.

Dong Ziqi's threatening voice echoed in the hall. He pointed towards the city gate, his face full of a smug, triumphant smirk, as if he could already see the Ji Clan bowing down in submission. "--Otherwise, no one in the entire Ji Clan will be allowed to step out of this ten thousand miles! What you're relying on is nothing more than a cultivator who just became Yinglong Guard a few years ago. My Snow Dragon Mountain has plenty of people like that! Although we cannot act within the ten thousand miles protected by the Yinglong Guard Token, you, and your clansmen, as long as you step out of this protected area—"

Of the five members of the Ji Clan in the council hall, all but Ji Ning had a sudden change in expression.

They were all just ordinary Violet Palace Cultivators, and Ji Yichuan could only truly unleash his Violet Palace realm cultivation when using secret techniques. Furthermore, they knew very little about the Yinglong Guard's background, so they were genuinely taken aback by Dong Ziqi's words.

Swaying.

Only Ji Ning remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. He had just broken through to the seventh level of the "Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram" today, and his cultivation of the Godfiend Body Refinement was already comparable to the late stage of the Violet Palace. In addition, with the many supernatural abilities he had cultivated and his understanding of the Dao, he was confident that he could suppress even the Wanxiang Adept. Naturally, he was full of confidence.

Seeing the solemn expressions on the faces of the Ji Clan members, Dong Ziqi nodded in satisfaction and was about to continue, "So, those who know what's good for them—"

Before he could finish speaking, a dull, loud "bang!" suddenly rang out.

The loud crash interrupted his words, and everyone's eyes turned to the floor in the center of the council chamber.

Four figures crashed down from nowhere, each one looking disheveled and their auras Extreme Point weak.

Two of them were very familiar to the five people from Snow Dragon Mountain!

Their pupils contracted sharply, and their bodies froze, unable to move. "Dong Qi, Han—Ancestor Han Yang?!"

Dong Ziqi's voice was filled with shock and disbelief, and the four Snow Dragon Mountain cultivators beside him also looked horrified, their expressions changing drastically.

Lying on the ground was none other than Hanyang Daoist Hanyang, one of the three Primordial Spirit giants of Snow Dragon Mountain, a figure they regarded as a pillar supporting the sky!

At this moment, where was even a trace of the majesty of Primordial Spirit Ancestor?

His Daoist robe was tattered and torn, his face was as pale as paper, his eyes were tightly closed, and his breath was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind. In fact, in their perception, his breath was even weaker than that of these Violet Palace Cultivators.

Right next to Daoist Hanyang was his grandson, Dong Qi!

He, too, had lost all his cultivation and lay paralyzed on the ground, too weak to even struggle to his feet.

The other two were Yu Tong and Shui Yi, servants who had followed Dong Qi back then.

On his way back to Myriad Swords City, Ji An found the two men, crippled their cultivation, and brought them back with him.

The entire council hall fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop. The smug expressions on the faces of the five members of Snow Dragon Mountain froze instantly, replaced by boundless fear. Their minds went blank; they couldn't comprehend what was happening before their eyes. Their greatest asset, the Primordial Spirit Ancestor Daoist Hanyang, had actually had his cultivation crippled and was being left here like a dead dog?

This is utterly absurd and absurd!

The Ji Clan members were also extremely shocked. When the Violet Palace Cultivator from Snow Dragon Mountain shouted the words "Ancestor Hanyang," they recognized the old man in front of them and couldn't help but gasp in unison, their shock beyond words.

Only Ji Ning's thoughts were churning, far surpassing those of the others.

Daoist Xueyang, Young Master Dong Qi?

Isn't this the very enemy who caused my parents' family to be destroyed back then?

The identities of the remaining two are self-evident; they must be Yu Tong and Shui Yi, who took action back then!

Moreover, when my brother Ji An left, he said he would return in six years, and judging by the time, it is today!

Thinking of this, Ji Ning's shock intensified.

Although he knew that his brother Ji An was exceptionally talented, far surpassing ordinary people, it had only been six years!

Six years ago, my brother already possessed the strength of Wanxiang Adept, but in just a few short years, he was able to capture a Primordial Spirit Daoist alive?

It's important to understand that killing and capturing alive are two completely different concepts, and the latter requires a far greater price and effort than the former!

Therefore, even for Ji Ning, witnessing a powerful Primordial Spirit Daoist fall to such a state was an immense shock.

"So what?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out, breaking the deathly silence in the hall.

A figure appeared silently in the center of the council hall, as if he had been standing there all along. He wore a silver-gold robe, stood tall and handsome, and exuded no terrifying aura. Yet, with his appearance, he naturally became the center of the entire world.

The person who arrived was none other than Ji An!

His gaze was icy and piercing as he slowly swept over the five Snow Dragon Mountain cultivators who were already terrified. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Who gave you the audacity to threaten my people on my Ji Clan's territory?"

The moment the words fell, an invisible, terrifying pressure descended, like Mount Tai pressing down on the five people from Snow Dragon Mountain.

"Splash!" "Splash! Splash!--"

The first one to Dong Ziqi collapsed to his knees, his legs giving way. He was followed by the green-haired man, the green-haired woman, the burly giant, and the sinister cultivator behind him, all of them collapsing to their knees one after another, their foreheads pressed firmly against the cold ground, unable to lift their heads.

Only now did they finally realize that they had completely kicked a hornet's nest!

Ji An shifted his gaze from the cultivators of Snow Dragon Mountain to Ji Jiuhuo in the main seat, as well as Ji Yichuan, Ji Ning, and others beside him, his eyes instantly softening.

"Father, Clan Chief—" Ji An nodded to each of them, finally fixing his gaze on Ji Ning, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Xiao Ning, I'm back.

His voice broke the deathly silence in the hall. Clan Chief Ji Jiuhuo, Granny Shadow, Ji Liuzhen, and the old servant A Xing stepped forward almost simultaneously, but their movements carried an undisguised restraint.

Ji Jiuhuo's face was full of smiles, but deep within those smiles lay an instinctive awe when facing a powerful figure: "An'er--"

You—you're back! I can't believe so many years have passed; you've grown so much!

He had so much to say, but when the words reached his lips, he didn't know how to begin.

After all, the young man who had captured the ancestral Primordial Spirit Snow Dragon Mountain was only a naive ten-year-old boy when he left home, and Ji An and he had not had much contact or interaction.

Now that Ji An has returned, he has become a pillar of strength that the entire Ji Clan must look up to, a key figure who can determine the family's survival and prosperity.

This dramatic shift in identity left the old patriarch Ji Jiuhuo, with mixed feelings—a mixture of elation and an indescribable sense of alienation.

Granny Shadow and the others hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, their expressions filled with respect and awe. The way they looked at Ji An was no longer like looking at a junior member of the family, but as if they were looking up at a high and mighty figure.

Ji An sensed the awe in those gazes and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He understood that this was an inevitable result of the disparity in strength.

These family elders weren't very familiar with him, so their attitude was understandable. Although he didn't like this distant feeling, he didn't say anything to correct them.

He nodded slightly to Ji Jiuhuo and the others, and said in a calm tone, "Clan leader, please take these troublesome fellows away and keep a close watch on them."

He pointed to Dong Ziqi and the others who were sprawled on the ground, "As for them, I think they wouldn't dare to resist."

"Alright! Don't worry, An'er, even if they had a few more lives, they wouldn't dare to run away!" Ji Jiuhuo quickly responded, then gestured for Granny Shadow and Ji Liuzhen to step forward and take the five people from Snow Dragon Mountain, who were as limp as mud, as well as Daoist Hanyang, Dong Qi, and the others whose cultivation had been crippled, away from the council hall.

The group acted swiftly and tactfully, leaving the space entirely to Ji Yichuan, Ji An, and Ji Ning, the family of three.

Ji Yichuan strode forward, his eyes slightly red, and patted Ji An's shoulder forcefully, his gaze sweeping over him. "It's good you're back! It's good you're back!"

Ji Ning excitedly joined them, her face full of admiration, saying, "Brother! You're amazing! Tell me, what's your strength now? And that Daoist Hanyang, you actually managed to capture him alive—"

Looking at his younger brother's excited and jubilant appearance, Ji An shook his head helplessly and gently patted his shoulder.

He didn't answer Ji Ning's question directly, but turned to his father Ji Yichuan and Ji Ning, and said in a deep voice, "Ning'er, Father, we'll talk about what's happened over the years in detail after we go home and see Mother. I'll tell you all about my experiences then."

He paused slightly, then changed the subject, asking in a deep voice, "By the way, why would those people from Snow Dragon Mountain come to my Ji Clan's territory to cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yichuan gave a wry smile and explained, "An'er, to be honest, a large Essence Stones vein was discovered near the Ji Clan's territory today. After your brother's careful investigation, this vein stretches for over four thousand miles, which is quite rare. However, the commotion caused by the emergence of this vein was too great, and the people of Snow Dragon Mountain learned of it. That's why they are so arrogant and domineering, forcing our Ji Clan to give up half of the mining rights."

Upon hearing this, Ji An nodded in understanding. In his heart, however, he secretly pondered that he hadn't expected that in the original story, Fire Dragon Daoist would break through to the Void-Returning Earth Immortal realm today.

In that case, his return was unfortunate; otherwise, he could have taken advantage of the Fire Dragon Daoist's breakthrough to test his true strength.

After all, the Fire Dragon Daoist was just a rogue cultivator. Although he had broken through to become Void-Returning Earth Immortal, he had only recently broken through and his foundation was not yet stable. His strength was probably the weakest among all Void-Returning Earth Immortals, which was perfect for testing the results of his cultivation over the years.

Unfortunately, he returned too late and missed the opportunity.

"Alright, let's go home first." Ji An sighed softly, looked up at Ji Yichuan, and asked with a hint of worry, "I haven't seen Mother for many years. I wonder how she has been all these years?"

"This—" Upon hearing this, Ji Yichuan's face turned bitter, and he sighed, "Your mother's health has deteriorated significantly over the years. It's fortunate that you returned, otherwise—"

Upon hearing his father's words, Ji An felt a pang of anxiety and said no more. With a slight thought, the four people, including Daoist Hanyang, who had been led away from the council hall, instantly appeared in front of the three of them.

With a thought, his Divine Consciousness swept out, engulfing the four people and suspending them in mid-air.

"Let's go, Father. Xiao Ning, we can't keep Mother waiting too long." Ji An's voice was calm and even.

Looking at the four people who had suddenly appeared before him, Ji Yichuan was filled with emotion and nodded silently. Ji Ning also responded excitedly and followed closely behind his brother.

The three of them, along with the four imprisoned Daoist Hanyang, transformed into three streaks of Flowing Light and vanished from the council hall in an instant.

In no time at all, they arrived at the Ji Clan West Prefecture.