The biting wind howled across the barren hill northwest of Bianjiao City. On a massive slab of rock, Ji Changkong sat cross-legged. Beside him, Mu Luo, Ayiguli, and the three Tagan brothers murmured amongst themselves. Tuoba Lie chuckled, playfully teasing the two young girls, Yi Jia and Yi Rou. The old monk Li Hentian sat with his head bowed, seemingly in deep meditation, his thoughts unreadable.

It had taken only a single day and night to travel from Riyao City. The speed was due to Li Hentian carrying Ji Changkong, Tuoba Lie clinging to Yi Jia and Yi Rou, Mu Luo holding onto Ayiguli, and the three Tagan brothers all flying through the air together.

The Holy Mother You Lan of the Mani Cult possessed cultivation at the Five Elements Heaven realm. Even a fierce demon like Li Hentian, who feared nothing, kept his distance from her peak power. Mu Luo and the others were acutely aware of You Lan’s terror, which spurred their frantic journey, flying the entire distance and condensing the travel time to just a day and a half.

With a gentle exhale, Ji Changkong slowly emerged from his stillness. His eyes were bright as the stars as he turned to look at Li Hentian beside him with a smile.

“How was it?” Li Hentian looked up, a flicker of expectation in his gaze.

Nodding slowly, Ji Changkong beamed with delight. “I’ve broken through to the Five Elements Heaven realm.”

A gentle, gratified smile bloomed on the usually emotionless face of the old monk Li Hentian. He suddenly pointed toward the distant Du family estate. “The Du family! One of the Seven Great Clans of the Central Lands! That place was meant to be the cultivation treasure ground of your Ji family, yet the Du family has occupied it for hundreds of years! Your father and mother both perished at the hands of the Du family. As the new Xuanyuan of the Ji family, you have the responsibility to seize everything that rightfully belongs to your clan!”

Mu Luo and Ayiguli listened quietly. Tuoba Lie’s face was alight with excitement, and he burst into laughter. “Changkong, we have returned from the Western Regions. From now on, your stage will be this land of the Central Plains. The Seven Great Clans and the Six Great Heavenly Master Sects are nothing to fear. With Elder Li and the experts from the Oro Divine Cult supporting you, the Ji family under your leadership will surely rise again in this world!”

Hearing Tuoba Lie speak, the two young girls, Yi Jia and Yi Rou, pouted angrily. Yi Jia whispered, “Hmph, how dare they look down on our Seven Great Clans!”

“Sister!” Yi Rou tugged at her sleeve and whispered softly, “Shouldn’t we bid them farewell now?”

“Don’t rush. Let’s see what they plan to do. Since we are back, there are very few factions in the Central Plains who would dare attack us. Following them won't hurt,” Yi Jia winked, signaling Yi Rou to be patient.

“The vengeance for my parents must be washed away with blood!” Standing up, Ji Changkong looked coldly toward the nearby Du family estate. He turned to Mu Luo, “Mu Luo, now that you follow me, will you obey whatever I decide to do?”

“Even murder and arson would be no exception!” Mu Luo replied somberly.

“Very good. As long as you listen obediently, when I possess sufficient power, I will lead you back to the Western Regions to seek justice for the Divine Cult.” Having given Mu Luo this assurance, Ji Changkong took the lead, leaping down from the mountainside and setting off.

Li Hentian followed behind with a dark expression, saying nothing. Mu Luo, Ayiguli, and the three Tagan brothers looked only to Ji Changkong’s lead, following silently.

“You two little girls, you’re back in the Central Plains, why haven’t you left on your own?” Tuoba Lie didn't rush to leave. He frowned, looking at the animated Yi Jia and Yi Rou, and warned sternly, “Since you are members of the Yi family, you had better not follow us. Even if not for yourselves, think of your clan. Some troubles… are not for you two to bear.”

“That’s none of your business,” Yi Jia retorted haughtily, raising her chin.

Tuoba Lie grinned widely but didn't press further. He nodded and strode quickly to catch up with Ji Changkong, paying no mind to Yi Jia and Yi Rou who hurried to keep up.

The vicinity of Yinlong Abyss was characterized by numerous towering mountains and vast rivers, rich with spiritual energy, making it a prime cultivation ground that attracted many Heavenly Masters seeking rigorous practice.

In this region, besides the renowned Du family, there were three major sects and two other families. The three sects were Longhua Sect, Tongyuan Sect, and Bailan Sect. The two families were the Xue family and the Xie family. These five powers, excluding the Du family, represented the strongest forces near Yinlong Abyss. For many years, they had pledged allegiance to the Du family. They had also previously acted against Ji Haotian and, like Ji Changkong, harbored deep-seated hatred against the Du family.

In a valley shrouded in mist, a hundred flowers bloomed, filling the air with fragrance. This was where the Xie family resided.

The usually bustling Xie family estate now appeared significantly subdued. Only some distant relatives and servants busied themselves in the valley; no vibrant young members were in sight.

Xie Mingyuan was the current head of the Xie family, at the peak of the Seven Star Heaven realm. His Divine Soul could roam across the Big Dipper uninterrupted, borrowing the power of the seven stars. Once his soul could fully merge with the seven stars, he could advance further to the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm.

Xie Mingyuan possessed an air of refined wisdom, resembling a middle-aged man in his forties. Recently, he had been constantly commuting between the Du family and the Xie family. The usual faint smile on his face had vanished, replaced by a perpetual frown.

The previous head of the Xie family, his elder brother, had died at the hands of Li Hentian. Xie Mingyuan himself had barely escaped that battle, heavily wounded, and had always nurtured a deep hatred for Li Hentian. Thus, when the Old Matriarch of the Du family sent an invitation a month ago to deal with Li Hentian, he didn't hesitate and rushed over with his family’s experts.

However, Li Hentian survived the heavy siege. Then, Ji Changkong appeared as an unpredictable variable, revealing a terrifying power that chilled Xie Mingyuan to the bone. After Li Hentian and his group escaped, Xie Mingyuan immediately arranged for his children and grandchildren to temporarily leave the Xie family, allowing them to travel abroad.

Therefore, when Ji Changkong appeared at the Xie family valley with Li Hentian, Mu Luo, and the others, Xie Mingyuan was not overly surprised.

Xie Mingyuan was not a man who clung timidly to life, but upon discovering that Li Hentian and Mu Luo had arrived together, he still fled. Ignoring everyone else in the valley, he immediately unleashed the full power of the peak Seven Star Heaven realm and desperately fled in the direction of the Du family.

Three men resembling those from the Western Regions suddenly materialized outside the valley entrance. Red, white, and black rays of light coalesced into a heavenly net, descending upon Xie Mingyuan.

The three Tagan brothers communicated with the Four Symbols Heaven, connecting with Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. They specialized in refining the powers of Fire, Metal, and Water within the Five Elements Heaven. The three brothers, at the Six Harmonies Heaven realm, had gathered rare materials such as celestial fire, metallic stones, and water mothers, refining them with their vital essence blood into threads as thick as thumbs. Each thread was woven into a net.

The brothers shared a telepathic link, allowing their three woven nets to connect, forming a single colossal net capable of matching a Seven Star Heaven realm expert. When engaging an enemy with this grand net, the three distinct powers intertwined, capable of releasing several times the combined energy.

As the heavenly net descended, Xie Mingyuan, despite being at the peak of the Seven Star Heaven realm, could not break free and escape. He was rigidly trapped within the Tagan brothers' net, completely unable to slip out.

Ji Changkong and Li Hentian approached Xie Mingyuan at a measured pace. Mu Luo and Ayiguli observed from a distance, looking coldly upon the trapped man.

“Is my father still alive?” Standing before Xie Mingyuan, Ji Changkong stared directly at him and asked softly.