"Father, is he from the Chen Family?" Han Qixing asked as he approached from behind.
Although he had reacted quickly earlier, the sudden ambush still left a lingering shock in his heart. What unsettled him even more, however, was not the enemy, but his father.
His mother had always told him that his father was stuck at the Sixth Stage of Qi Refining.
Yet the man kneeling before them was clearly a Ninth Stage cultivator… and had still been suppressed and defeated by his father.
That meant only one thing.
His father had been concealing his cultivation base!
But concealing one's cultivation was one matter. Defeating an opponent stronger than oneself was another entirely.
At first, the realization stunned him.
Then, Han Qixing slowly calmed down.
There was nothing truly strange about it.
After all, he himself often fought opponents a realm above him. If he could do it, why couldn't his father?
It was just that his father was usually extremely restrained during daily cultivation, never revealing even a trace of his true depth.
'Father… is hiding far deeper than I thought,' Han Qixing concluded silently.
"I don't recognize him, but I'm certain he's from the Chen Family—judging from his use of Thunder Severing Finger." Han Xuan said calmly. He then turned to his son, "Xing'er, use the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda to imprison him."
Han Qixing was momentarily startled.
"Big families like the Chen Family often possess Soul Lamps. They monitor the life and death of their core members. If this man dies here, it will immediately alert them." Han Xuan continued in a low voice. He paused, his gaze cold, "We can't let him die yet. Sealing him is the safest option."
Understanding dawned on Han Qixing's face.
He nodded without hesitation.
With a thought, he took out the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda.
Instantly, star-patterned light spilled forth as the pagoda expanded slightly, its seven layers glowing faintly. Then, a powerful sealing force descended.
Before the middle-aged man could struggle or utter a single word, his frozen body was enveloped by starlight and drawn into the pagoda.
In the next instant, the pagoda returned to Han Qixing's palm, as if it had swallowed nothing at all.
The road fell deathly quiet once more.
The Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda rested quietly in Han Qixing's palm, its seven layers faintly shimmering before gradually dimming.
Inside, the middle-aged man let out muffled roars, lightning crackling uselessly against the star-forged walls. Each strike was swallowed without a ripple, as if tossed into a bottomless abyss.
Han Qixing exhaled softly, "…It's done."
Then, his brows knit together.
His consciousness slipped into the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda for a brief inspection.
Strangely, none of the star marks within the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda had lit up.
Han Qixing's gaze flickered, "Father."
"What is it?" Han Xuan asked, noticing the change in his expression.
Han Qixing raised the pagoda slightly, "After sealing him, none of the star marks activated. I was thinking… could it be that a single Ninth Stage of Qi Refining cultivator isn't enough to light one?"
Han Xuan was momentarily startled.
He recalled the details about the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda from his son. Then, he nodded slowly and said, "That's very possible. The Seven Star Sealing Pagoda isn't an ordinary spiritual weapon. If its star marks are tied to the weight or value of what's sealed, then a Qi Refining cultivator, even a Ninth Stage one, may indeed be insufficient."
He paused, then added dryly, "Looks like you'll need to capture more bad people in the future to confirm it."
Han Qixing blinked. Then he nodded seriously, "Mm."
Han Xuan couldn't help but smile faintly. He said, turning back toward the road, "Alright, we've already been delayed long enough. It wouldn't be good if we're late."
They were just about to move when Han Xuan suddenly stopped.
His expression darkened.
"…So that's how it is."
Han Qixing looked around in confusion, "Father?"
Han Xuan slowly extended his spiritual sense.
Only then did he realize that a formation had been deployed over the surrounding area.
A thin, almost imperceptible barrier enveloped the road. It sealed sound, spiritual fluctuations, and even faint killing intent within a confined space.
It was no wonder that no passing cultivators or town guards had appeared, despite such a violent clash.
"This formation doesn't just block sound and spiritual perception," Han Xuan said coldly. "Those trapped inside are also prevented from leaving."
Han Qixing's expression tightened, a rare hint of panic surfacing, "Father… does that mean we can't get out?"
"It seems that was the Chen Family's true objective," Han Xuan sighed, "If they couldn't kill us, they would delay us, prevent us from reaching the town today, and miss the appointment."
Then, he chuckled softly.
"Unfortunately for them… they underestimated your father."
In the next instant, icy air surged from Han Xuan's right hand. Frost spread rapidly from his palm to his joints, white-blue ice forming intricate patterns along his arm.
He looked at his son and said calmly, "Xing'er, remember this well. Never reveal your true strength to anyone. As cultivators, we must always leave one or two trump cards, so that when the moment comes, we can turn the tables."
Han Qixing watched silently, eyes unblinking.
Han Xuan stepped forward and placed his frost-covered hand against the invisible barrier, his movements unhurried and precise.
"Ice Hand."
The moment his palm made contact—
The formation froze solid.
White frost raced across the invisible formation lines, crystallizing them in an instant. A sharp 'crack' echoed through the air as fractures spread like spiderwebs.
Then, it shattered.
The formation collapsed into countless ice shards, dissolving into mist before they even touched the ground.
The road ahead opened once more.
Han Xuan withdrew his hand, the frost receding as if it had never existed.
Ice Hand was the final spell he had comprehended from the Eternal Frost Sovereign Sutra, after Ice Mist Veil and Ice God.
It was a pure offensive spell—one that allowed him to freeze anything he touched.
Although formations were formless, they could still be contacted. Under normal circumstances, no matter how profound a spell was, destroying a formation required overwhelming cultivation to forcibly break through it from the outside.
Yet Han Xuan had achieved it.
Not only because Ice Hand itself was tyrannical, but because he had infused it with a strand of Sovereign Frost Qi.
Han Xuan sighed inwardly, 'Two strands wasted today.'
Sovereign Frost Qi was something that could not be casually replenished.
Still… it was worth it.
He turned back to his son and said calmly, "Come. Let's not keep the magistrate waiting."
Father and son stepped forward once more.
Behind them, the road lay quiet, nothing remaining but lingering cold.
✽ ✽ ✽
Inside a quiet tea house, the aroma of freshly brewed spiritual tea drifted through the air.
Chen Wuye sat by the window, leisurely lifting his teacup. His movements were unhurried, his expression calm as if nothing in the world could disturb his mood.
Footsteps approached.
A servant in plain robes stopped a few steps away and bowed deeply, "Young Master."
Chen Wuye didn't look up, "How is it?"
The servant, He Jin, hesitated for a brief moment before reporting, "The ambush on Meng Yaoyao has failed."
Chen Wuye's fingers paused slightly on the teacup.
He Jin continued quickly, "The Meng Family dispatched two Ninth Stage Qi Refining elders to escort her personally. With them present, there was no opportunity to act."
Chen Wuye snorted softly and took a sip of tea, "As expected."
The Meng Family was not some insignificant upstart to begin with.
Although they lacked a Foundation Establishment cultivator, their accumulation over the years was not shallow. Several Ninth Stage Qi Refining elders were well within expectation.
"Forget her," Chen Wuye said indifferently, "What about Han Xuan's son?"
At the mention of that name, a faint chill flickered in his eyes.
Although Han Xuan's son was only ten years old, Chen Wuye did not dare underestimate him in the slightest.
He Jin lowered his head further, "We have not received any confirmation yet. However, with Master Mingguan's strength, delaying them or even killing them should be successful."
Chen Wuye set his teacup down slowly.
By now, he could already see through Han Xuan's intentions.
He is most likely trying to send his son to a sect so he can get a backer.
If Han Qixing successfully entered a sect, especially one like Clearsky Sect, then many of Chen Wuye's methods would become inconvenient, if not outright impossible.
Unfortunately, Chen Wuye's gaze turned cold.
He had never shown mercy to those who blocked his path.
His thoughts drifted back to the Blackscale Brothers.
After their assassination attempt failed, they vanished without a trace.
At first, Chen Wuye had considered two possibilities.
Either they fled with the spirit coins, or they were killed.
The former was unlikely.
Though robbers, the Blackscale Brothers valued reputation. Without it, no one would dare hire them again. Running off with payment would be no different from severing their own livelihood.
That left only one conclusion.
They died!
And the last person who saw them was Han Xuan, and most likely they were killed by Han Xuan.
Which meant Han Xuan had been concealing his cultivation base all along.
Otherwise, how could he kill the Blackscale Brothers' eldest, who had reached the Seventh Stage of Qi Refining?
Chen Wuye's lips curved into a thin, cold smile.
That was precisely why this time, he chose to be thorough.
"For this ambush," Chen Wuye said calmly, "I personally asked my uncle to take action."
He Jin's heart trembled slightly.
He naturally knew who Chen Wuye's uncle.
That person is a Ninth Stage of Qi Refining cultivator, Chen Mingguan.
"With Uncle Mingguan's cultivation," Chen Wuye sneered and continued, "Even if Han Xuan intervened personally, killing that boy should have been effortless."
He leaned back in his chair, tapping the table lightly.
Unbeknownst to him, Han Xuan and his son have already arrived at the town gate.