Dozens of miles away, two people were watching Ning Fa from afar.
On the left was a young cultivator with snow-white robes, long flowing hair, and handsome features.
On the right was a man with sword-like eyebrows, exuding a sharp sword intent that made it impossible to look directly at him.
These two were none other than the highest-ranking figures in the Yunhuang Alliance: the First Elder of the Divine Heart Sect, True Lord Kongli, and the First Elder of the Heaven Sword Sect, Sword Lord Xu Yi.
"I never expected he would grow to this extent," Xu Yi said slowly after a long silence.
Even he, who was known for his unflappable demeanor, showed disbelief and apprehension in his eyes, along with barely concealed resentment.
True Lord Kongli, who had long been a formidable presence in the Yunhuang Alliance, wore a peculiar expression, his eyes filled with thought.
After a while, he said thoughtfully, "He has arrived at the perfect time. Compared to the two of us, he might be a more suitable candidate. Fellow Daoist Xuyuan wishes to meet me; I suspect he has the same idea."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yi's sword eyebrows shot up, and a monstrous sword intent erupted. However, after a moment, he took a deep breath, transformed into a dazzling sword light, and flew away without looking back.
True Lord Kongli's expression remained unchanged. He stayed in place for a long time before his figure flickered and disappeared.
Xuguo was a country located at the junction of the three major powers: the Yunhuang Alliance, the Demonic Path Alliance, and the Righteous Path Alliance.
The country was vast, with abundant spiritual vein dojos and spiritual material resources. Due to its proximity to the three major powers, the various marketplaces and immortal cities within Xuguo were exceptionally prosperous.
Huaqing Immortal City and Yuquan Immortal City, two of the ten great immortal cities of Cangyuan, were both located in Xuguo.
Xuguo had never had a clear affiliation. Given its crucial geographical location, none of the three major powers wanted to let go of it.
Therefore, it could be considered as being divided among the three major powers. For a long time, the various factions, large and small, within Xuguo had basically been dependent on the three major powers.
However, with Pei Nanshu's advancement to the late Nascent Soul stage and the rise of the Pei family, coupled with Pei Nanshu's significant, albeit unknown, role.
The highest Elder Council of Cangyuan eventually deliberated and decided to allocate the entire Xuguo to the Pei family as their sphere of influence.
As a result, Xuguo had become the Pei family's domain. Pei family cultivators held supreme status within Xuguo, and other factions in Xuguo were all subservient to the Pei family.
Located in the center of Xuguo, there was a mountain range stretching for tens of thousands of miles, brimming with spiritual energy.
At its very center lay a top-grade spiritual vein of the fourth-grade, a renowned cultivation holy land throughout Cangyuan.
This entire mountain range was now the Pei family's clan land and a forbidden zone for the entire Xuguo. Any Pei family cultivator who approached would be killed on the spot.
The Pei family had renamed this mountain range the Yongpei Mountain Range, the meaning of which was self-evident: they hoped the Pei family would prosper forever.
At the core of the Yongpei Mountain Range, there were originally myriad rays of auspicious light, flying immortal birds, and palaces and pavilions resembling immortal abodes scattered across numerous spiritual peaks, truly a paradise on earth.
But on this day, several powerful streaks of light arrived from the south.
Subsequently, the center of the Yongpei Mountain Range was engulfed by endless lightning, ice, and waves, and the beautiful palaces and pavilions were all utterly destroyed.
The ones who attacked were naturally Ning Fa, Blue Lightning, and Little Ice.
At this moment, some onlookers who had secretly watched from afar were spies sent by various major powers.
These people were all utterly shocked. They hadn't expected Ning Fa to not stop after destroying the Tianyang Sect but to actually go and cause trouble for the Pei family!
Furthermore, it appeared that Ning Fa was completely intent on a fight to the death, disregarding the overall situation and righteousness, as if driven mad.
Not only did Ning Fa attack, but the terrifying strength displayed by his two spiritual pets also startled them, prompting them to quickly relay this news to their respective factions.
For several days, the Pei family's clan land, painstakingly built over decades, was reduced to ruins.
Only shattered walls and billowing smoke remained; there was no trace of its former glory as a paradise on earth.
On the peak of the tallest mountain, light flashed, revealing the figures of Ning Fa, Blue Lightning, and Little Ice.
However, Ning Fa's expression was grim. During these days, the Pei family cultivators he encountered were at most at the Qi Refining stage. Not a single Pei family member above Foundation Establishment was seen. Soul searching these low-level Pei family members yielded no useful information.
It was clear that the Pei family, sensing danger, had abandoned this clan land and gone into hiding somewhere.
This surprised Ning Fa. He hadn't expected the Pei family to truly act like cowards, abandoning even their own clan land.
However, even with the destruction of the Pei family's clan land, the anger in Ning Fa's heart remained unabated.
After all, the main culprit was Pei Nanshu. As long as this person remained alive, his rage would not subside.
He cared not for the tense situation or the greater good, nor how important this person was to Cangyuan; Pei Nanshu had to die!
At this moment, Ning Fa scanned his surroundings and sneered, "I don't believe that all tens of thousands of your Pei family members will hide like rats from now on! If I catch any of you, I will kill you on sight!"
Ning Fa deliberately channeled his true essence to utter this statement, his voice like thunder, spreading for hundreds of miles.
This also made the observing spies inwardly tremble, reinforcing their understanding of Ning Fa's formidable nature and his vengeful personality.
At this point, from a distant corner, a late Core Formation cultivator dressed in yellow was holding a special round mirror. The mirror rippled like water, displaying the scene of Ning Fa's declaration filled with killing intent.
After a moment, the image vanished, and the person wore a wry smile. "Master, I've told you long ago not to indulge Junior Brother Shaoyang too much...
Now that the Pei family has gone into hiding, and this Senior Ning's anger is unquenched, I fear he will vent his fury upon our Yuxu Gate...
The Pei family can hide, but can our Yuxu Gate, with its vast foundation, also be abandoned?"
Meanwhile, in a secret manor several thousand miles southeast of Xuguo.
In a quiet room, a scroll formed by a light screen displayed the scene of Ning Fa speaking his killing-intent-filled words on the high mountain.
Beside it stood a middle-aged cultivator in a Taoist robe, exuding an ethereal aura. This person was the First Elder of the Yuxu Gate, True Lord Yu Chan.
He stood there, his expression grim, as still as a statue.
A full hour later, he finally let out a long sigh, a hint of bitterness in his eyes, as he finally made up his mind.
He got up and went to another room nearby.
Inside the room, a man and a woman were talking. The man was exceptionally handsome, and the woman was also beautiful. They were Shi Shaoyang and his Dao Companion, Zhu Yuhuan, who was also True Lord Yu Chan's only daughter.
Both of them had worried expressions on their faces. Shi Shaoyang, in particular, who was usually confident and spirited, now looked completely lost and panicked, his fear barely concealed.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at him with determination and comforted him, "Husband, don't worry so much. Father is a Great Cultivator after all, and our Yuxu Gate is the second largest sect in the Righteous Path Alliance. We're not like Tianyang Sect, so Ning Fa shouldn't dare to act so presumptuously."
Upon hearing this, Shi Shaoyang seemed to find some comfort. He managed a strained smile and gently caressed Zhu Yuhuan's hand.
At that moment, they noticed Yu Chan's arrival and quickly got up to pay their respects.
However, the moment Shi Shaoyang saw True Lord Yu Chan's calm and unruffled face, his heart suddenly sank, and he had a very bad premonition.
Zhu Yuhuan, unaware, said joyfully, "Father, we were just..."
Before she could finish, Yu Chan's figure flickered, and he appeared beside her, gently pointing a finger at her neck. Zhu Yuhuan immediately slumped onto the table, softly unconscious.
Shi Shaoyang's face turned ashen. He stumbled back several steps, looking at Yu Chan in disbelief, and stammered, "Father-in-law, could it be... could it be..."
Yu Chan looked at him and sighed, "Shaoyang, everyone must take responsibility for their actions."
Hearing this, Shi Shaoyang's heart plummeted into the abyss. He roared with a ferocious expression, "How can you be a Great Cultivator and still offer up your own son-in-law? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world! Even as a ghost, I..."
But before he could finish, he was abruptly cut off.
With a "bang," Shi Shaoyang fell to the ground, bound by a shimmering yellow rope.
Not long after, a masked cultivator in black entered.
Yu Chan said expressionlessly, "Yuan Kang should have captured him, right?"
"Yes, Master," the black-clothed cultivator replied in a deep voice.
"Good. Besides Yuan Kang and the spiritual materials I prepared earlier, bring Shi Shaoyang as well."
Yu Chan continued, his eyes filled with loneliness, and his face looked more than ten years older.
The black-clothed cultivator showed no change in expression. He bowed deeply to Yu Chan, picked up Shi Shaoyang, and disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Ning Fa, still in the Yongpei Mountain Range, had calmed his anger slightly.
He stood in the sky, looking around and feeling the rich spiritual energy blowing towards him. His heart stirred.
"This place is quite good, and Xuguo's geographical location is excellent. It's too wasteful to give it to the Pei Family. Isn't it perfect as the sect and clan land for Huayu Sect and the Ning Family?"
As he thought this, Ning Fa's eyes suddenly brightened, and then he felt a pang of regret.
He shouldn't have been so heavy-handed and destroyed the entire place.
However, the work of rebuilding wouldn't be too troublesome for cultivators.
Ning Fa's lips curved slightly, his mind made up. He planned to immediately arrange for Huayu Sect and the Ning Family to prepare for relocation upon his return.
As for the Elder Council, Ning Fa believed that as long as they weren't foolish, they wouldn't object.
Next, just as Ning Fa was about to get up and return, his expression suddenly shifted as he looked into the distance.
He saw a streak of light rapidly approaching from afar. Before long, it had arrived nearby, with two figures standing on the escaping light.
One of them was dressed in a moon-white long robe, with long, cloud-like hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin. His appearance was so handsome that even women would feel ashamed.
This person was looking at him with a smile, and his cultivation was at the early Nascent Soul stage.