The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"That's Wang Qinglin?"

The Moon Pavilion stood at the center of crisscrossing streets lined with tightly packed buildings. In the alleyways and on the rooftops surrounding it, over fifty rogue cultivators lay in wait, some crouched in the shadows, others standing openly.

Their cultivation levels ranged from Embryo Breath Stage 2 to Embryo Breath Stage 6, with a few at Embryo Breath Stage 7 and even Embryo Breath Stage 9 peak.

The speaker was Daoist Mu.

"Indeed," someone confirmed.

"A Qi Refinement cultivator... not an easy foe to handle," Daoist Mu said, frowning. He had done his research and knew that Wang Qinglin, the strongest cultivator in the Yulin Wang family, was currently at the Qi Refinement Stage 6 peak after having his cultivation suppressed.

Even so, a Qi Refinement cultivator was far beyond the capabilities of these rogue cultivators at the Embryo Breath stage.

"The Upper Three Families and the Qishan Wen family only tasked us with distracting Wang Qinglin and separating him from Wang Liyuan. They never said we had to face him directly.

"If they'd asked us to duel Wang Qinglin, none of us would've dared accept this job. But when it comes to diversion... we have plenty of tricks up our sleeves," said a beautiful female cultivator in a red dress, covering her mouth as she chuckled softly.

As she spoke, wisps of dark red poisonous mist began to emanate from her body, spreading rapidly toward the Moon Pavilion under her control.

"Others are already starting to act," Daoist Mu said, noticing his companion's subtle movements.

Scanning his surroundings, he saw other rogue cultivators using their respective Daoist arts to attack the pavilion.

One was commanding zombie-like puppets, sending them lurching toward the building.

Another controlled a swarm of venomous snakes that slithered into the pavilion.

Others unleashed ghostly apparitions, which transformed into eerie black mist and charged at the pavilion with terrifying speed.

"Who dares launch a sneak attack on this old man?!"

Inside the pavilion, Wang Qinglin sensed the approaching threats and the poisonous mist creeping closer.

With a dramatic sweep of his sleeve, he conjured a gale-force wind that scattered the mist in an instant.

Whoooosh!

The mist dispersed, but no sooner had it vanished than dark, sinister black energy surged from beneath the pavilion.

The black energy coalesced into malevolent ghosts that howled as they lunged toward Wang Qinglin and Wang Liyuan.

"Petty tricks!" Wang Qinglin muttered, his gaze turning cold.

With a surge of spiritual power, his aura erupted outward, obliterating the ghostly figures in an instant. The ghosts, which were as strong as Embryo Breath Stage 3 cultivators, disintegrated with anguished wails.

Meanwhile, Wang Liyuan had unsheathed his spiritual sword and was slashing through a seemingly endless wave of charging puppets.

Despite his strength, the sheer number of enemies—puppets, venomous creatures, and other summoned monstrosities—made it difficult to cut them all down quickly.

"Begone!"

With a thunderous shout, Wang Qinglin unleashed a devastating shockwave.

The pavilion collapsed in a cascade of rubble, and the puppets, snakes, and other summoned beasts within it were obliterated instantly.

Thump!

A rogue cultivator controlling the puppets spat out a mouthful of blood as his connection to them was violently severed.

"That old monster Wang Qinglin is too powerful!" he gasped, trembling with fear.

Another rogue cultivator, who had been controlling the venomous snakes, wiped the blood from his mouth, his face pale. The memories transmitted by his dying snakes replayed in his mind, and he shivered.

The gap between Embryo Breath and Qi Refinement cultivators was truly insurmountable.

"Retreat!"

Seeing the pavilion reduced to rubble and their combined assault thwarted in an instant, Daoist Mu knew they stood no chance against Wang Qinglin.

He quickly signaled his companions, including the female cultivator in red, and they fled the scene without hesitation.

Better to escape now than risk Wang Qinglin discovering them and hunting them down.

Not just Daoist Mu and his group, but all the rogue cultivators in the vicinity who had participated in the attack began retreating rapidly, their spirits crushed by Wang Qinglin's overwhelming power.

The many Embryo Breath rogue cultivators lurking in the shadows, after realizing they could gain nothing from Wang Qinglin, quickly used their Daoist arts to retreat as fast as possible.

"Patriarch!"

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, Wang Liyuan emerged, his expression tense as he noticed the fleeing rogue cultivators. Turning to the somber-faced Wang Qinglin, he said, "These rogue cultivators must have been hired by those plotting against us!"

"What do you plan to do?"

"Take care of yourself. I'll catch one and get some answers," Wang Qinglin said firmly. With a powerful leap, he pursued Daoist Mu and the others who were fleeing in panic.

"Here's my chance!"

"Those Upper Three Families and the Wen family really know how to stir things up," Yun Yanshui muttered.

Disguised as a Wang family rogue cultivator, Yun Yanshui had been suppressing his aura while hiding near the Moon Pavilion, closely monitoring Wang Qinglin's every move.

Now that Wang Qinglin had been successfully drawn away, it was time for Yun Yanshui to act.

With a flick of his hand, he summoned the Wuqing War Bow. As spiritual energy surged within him, the Yin-Yang diagram in his dantian began to spin wildly, channeling power into the bow.

Drawing the bowstring, he formed a devastating arrow of concentrated spiritual energy.

Extending his divine sense, he locked onto Wang Liyuan, who was still near the ruins of the Moon Pavilion, seemingly preparing to leave.

"This has to be quick," Yun Yanshui thought, tightening his grip. "Wang Qinglin will be back soon. If I miss this chance, there won't be another."

As Wang Liyuan was about to move away from the ruins, Yun Yanshui released the arrow.

Whoosh!

The arrow tore through the air with terrifying speed, carrying an aura of unstoppable destruction as it raced toward Wang Liyuan.

"This aura..."

At the ruins, Wang Liyuan had been on edge, wary of an ambush. The moment he sensed the overwhelming killing intent, he acted decisively, summoning three high-grade defensive artifacts: a copper bell, an iron fan, and an iron shield, all Grade 9 Yellow Tier.

The three defensive artifacts formed a protective barrier around him, capable of withstanding the full-force attack of a typical Qi Refinement cultivator.

However, this arrow was no ordinary attack.

The arrow pierced through the iron shield with ease, followed by the iron fan. Finally, it struck the copper bell, tearing through it as though it were paper.

"Damn it!"

Seeing all three of his defensive artifacts fail to stop the arrow, Wang Liyuan's face turned pale. As the arrow neared him, he cursed under his breath and desperately dodged using his family's advanced movement technique.

Though he narrowly avoided a fatal strike, the arrow was too fast. It ripped through his left arm, leaving it a bloody mess.

Boom!

The arrow detonated, scattering the remnants of his arm in a shower of flesh and blood.

"The archer must still be hiding nearby. They'll strike again if I stay here. I need to get to the patriarch for protection!"

Ignoring the searing pain of his missing arm, Wang Liyuan immediately activated his movement technique, preparing to flee.

But just as he moved, a shadow appeared before him like a phantom.

A glint of cold steel flashed.

Slash!

The blade sliced cleanly through Wang Liyuan's neck, severing his head in an instant.

In his final moments, Wang Liyuan caught a glimpse of his attacker's face: a rugged man in Wang family rogue cultivator attire with a square jaw and a stern expression.

After slaying Wang Liyuan, Yun Yanshui quickly retrieved the storage pouch from his corpse. Without hesitation, he vanished into the shadows, fully aware that Wang Qinglin was racing back toward the scene.

If he lingered, he would undoubtedly be caught by the enraged patriarch.

As Yun Yanshui disappeared, Wang Qinglin arrived mere moments later. He was holding a bloodied Daoist Mu, who had been captured during the pursuit.

Wang Qinglin had planned to interrogate Daoist Mu about who had sent him and his accomplices.

However, sensing that Wang Liyuan was in grave danger, Wang Qinglin had abandoned the interrogation and rushed back.

But even with his swift return, he was too late.

All that awaited him was the sight of Wang Liyuan's lifeless, headless corpse sprawled on the ground.

"Liyuan... Liyuan!"

Wang Qinglin's voice trembled with grief and fury as he stared at the mutilated body of his grandson.

The once-mighty patriarch of the Yulin Wang family, known for his composure and strength, now stood paralyzed, overwhelmed by the loss of his most promising heir.

His sorrow quickly turned to rage, and his piercing gaze swept the surroundings.

"Whoever did this... I will find you! And I will make you pay!" Wang Qinglin roared, his voice shaking the heavens.