In the mountain range before the Tempest Family's mystical realm, a vast ocean of energy had formed.
A bright, full moon rose high in the sky, casting a silver light over the turbulent sea below. Among the chaos, a golden lotus flower, a beautiful bloom, and a large white carp swirled around a man in white robes. The moonlight shone down upon him, as if draping him in a robe of mist, making him appear like a celestial being.
Every movement of this man in white, Lin Jiufeng, stirred the hearts of the six Tenth-Stage experts. They were unable to withstand the overwhelming power of the four extraordinary phenomena displayed by him. With the terrifying strength of the Tenth-Stage, they fought with all their might but could only manage to kneel before him.
The woman in red, drenched in cold sweat, asked in shock, "How did you come to comprehend so many Daoist phenomena?"
Lin Jiufeng did not answer. These phenomena were ones he had grasped long ago. Back then, his cultivation was not high enough to demonstrate their true power, but as his strength grew, their potential gradually unfolded. Now, at the peak of the Ninth-Stage and on the verge of reaching the Tenth-Stage, he could easily suppress six Tenth-Stage experts with these phenomena.
Lin Jiufeng glanced at them, then turned to look at Wen Xinyun, still cradled in his arms, and asked, "How do you wish to deal with them? Should they be killed or punished?"
The six ancient ancestors of the Tempest Family changed color in panic, anxiously watching Wen Xinyun.
The elder in black robes called out, "You are a descendant of the Tempest Family! We are your ancestors, connected by blood!"
Wen Xinyun, weak and pale, leaned against Lin Jiufeng, her expression cold and emotionless. She whispered, "Just tell me where my mother is."
Lin Jiufeng immediately turned to the six Tempest Family ancestors.
The woman in red spoke quickly, "Wen Xinyun's mother faked her death, so she gave birth in a coffin. When we found Wen Xinyun, her mother had already disappeared."
"Disappeared? Where did she go?" Lin Jiufeng furrowed his brows.
"I don't know, but her jade token was never broken, which proves she is still alive," the elder in black robes quickly added, kneeling down in great embarrassment.
"We're telling the truth, there is no lie in what we've said." The others swore as well, terrified of Lin Jiufeng's wrath, fearing that one wrong move would lead to their destruction.
Now they believed that a Ninth-Stage cultivator could defeat even the Tenth-Stage, perhaps even crush them.
Lin Jiufeng ignored them and lowered his gaze to Wen Xinyun. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"I want to enter the Tempest Family's mystical realm and take my parents' belongings. After that, I never want to come here again," Wen Xinyun softly said.
Lin Jiufeng nodded, holding her in his arms, and turned to the six ancestors of the Tempest Family. "Did you hear that?"
The woman in red immediately nodded, "No problem, I will guide you."
The elder in black robes hurriedly said, "I will gather everything your parents left behind."
Lin Jiufeng warned them, "If there are any more issues, not one of you will survive."
The six Tempest Family ancestors shivered, and immediately promised that they would not hide anything.
Lin Jiufeng dissipated the four phenomena, allowing the six Tenth-Stage experts to rise to their feet.
The woman in red immediately led the way, while the elder in black rushed back to the Tempest Family's mystical realm, urgently calling upon the family members to gather all of Wen Xinyun's parents' belongings.
Lin Jiufeng carried Wen Xinyun and stepped into the Tempest Family's land again.
This time, Wen Xinyun had no expression, feeling like a stranger. She felt no attachment to the Tempest Family, and from now on, only the Feathered Ascension Sect held her heart.
The elder in black quickly gathered the belongings of Wen Xinyun's parents, placing them in a box and respectfully presenting it to Lin Jiufeng.
"Senior, everything is here," the elder in black said with utmost respect, not caring that he was thousands of years older than Lin Jiufeng, calling him "Senior" without hesitation.
In the cultivation world, strength determined respect.
Lin Jiufeng did not acknowledge him but turned to Wen Xinyun, asking, "Is everything here?"
Wen Xinyun carefully checked the box in Lin Jiufeng's arms, nodded lightly, then nestled back into his embrace.
With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Jiufeng stored the box in his spatial ring.
Then, he turned his gaze to the six Tempest Family ancestors.
The six of them tensed, startled by his penetrating stare, as if they were the ones under threat.
Lin Jiufeng spoke coldly, "The Tempest Family has broken its word. Even though one of your Tenth-Stage members is dead, it's not enough."
The woman in red hesitated and asked softly, "Senior, what do you mean?"
"Tempest Family must make amends. For one, kill Wen Ting. Two, send all your family's books to the Feathered Ascension Sect as compensation. If you dare hide any, for every book, for every Ninth-Stage head, I'll kill you all," Lin Jiufeng said calmly.
His calm words made the six Tempest Family ancestors shiver, and they quickly promised to comply, assuring that all the books would be sent to the Feathered Ascension Sect.
As for the head of the Tempest Family, Wen Ting?
The impulsive elder in black immediately vanished, and within an hour, he returned, exuding a strong aura of slaughter.
Everything was understood without words.
Lin Jiufeng turned, still carrying Wen Xinyun, and walked away.
The six Tempest Family ancestors followed closely, not daring to slacken.
The psychological shadow Lin Jiufeng cast on them was immense.
As they exited the Tempest Family's mystical realm, Lin Jiufeng suddenly asked, "Are there any other Tenth-Stage ancestors in the Tempest Family?"
The woman in red answered softly, "There is one true ancestor, but he has been in a deep sleep for three thousand years and hasn't awoken, so there are only seven of us now."
The elder in black added, "Now there are only six of us, Senior."
Lin Jiufeng made a note of this in his mind, then soared into the sky with Wen Xinyun in his arms.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His speed was so fast that sonic booms rang out, deafening and startling the six Tempest Family ancestors.
It wasn't until Lin Jiufeng disappeared that the elder in black cursed loudly, "Damn Wen Shi, too greedy. For a single dragon root, he stirred up such a terrifying figure. He almost dragged us down. Damn him! He got what he deserved!"
The woman in red glanced at him sarcastically and said, "Aren't you two brothers? At first, you were going to avenge him."
The elder in black simmered with rage, "A brother? He's a greedy fool. That dragon root should have been given, and we should have just escaped when we had the chance. But no, he had to go back on his word, causing all this trouble and driving such a powerful being away."
"Enough, stop whining. Wen Shi's death was his own fault. Red, tomorrow, gather the Tempest Family's books and send them to the Feathered Ascension Sect as our apology," an old man with white hair said solemnly.
The woman in red, indeed named Hong Yi, nodded in agreement.
As she thought of the rare and precious books, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
"Don't waste any time. Copy the originals and send the copies to the Feathered Ascension Sect," the white-haired elder gritted his teeth.
Hong Yi nodded silently.
"Damn it, this cultivation world is just starting to reach its peak, and now such a terrifying expert appears. It's far from over!" the white-haired elder grumbled in frustration.