52: reaction

Seeing Mo Xuan leave, the Zhou Family members all breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that they were ungrateful; rather, the pressure of standing before Mo Xuan was simply too immense.

Although Mo Xuan still manifested in a four-zhang size upon his arrival, similar to before, the Zhou Family members, with the exception of Zhou Kaiding, were all at the early or Mid-stage Qi Refining.

Therefore, their current demeanor was already quite good.

"Has Senior Mo already achieved Foundation Establishment Breakthrough?" Lin Muwan asked, leaning against Zhou Kaiding, her arm linked with his, a hint of confusion in her tone, after she had calmed down.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Licheng and the others also looked towards Zhou Kaiding, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"That's right."

Zhou Kaiding nodded, his voice filled with awe and excitement.

Receiving the affirmative answer, the group exchanged glances, their faces beaming with joy.

Although they had already speculated and had personally witnessed Mo Xuan flying with Zhou Kaiding, they were still shocked and amazed by Zhou Kaiding's confirmation.

"How can my Zhou Family be so blessed..." Lin Muwan's expression, however, was somewhat complex, her voice tinged with melancholy.

Indeed, for so many years, if not for Mo Xuan, how could the Zhou Family have remained stable until now?

Yet, the Zhou Family had given Mo Xuan nothing; the grand promises made back then amounted to nothing more than a few worthless foodstuffs.

Zhou Kaiding sighed inwardly, feeling an indescribable guilt towards Mo Xuan.

"We'll talk more when we get back."

Zhou Kaiding composed himself, rousing Zhou Licheng and the others from their joy and amazement.

After collecting the Storage Pouches and Magical Artifacts of the three Wu Family Elders and disposing of their bodies, they returned home.

As for the Great Formation that had been shattered, it could only remain that way for now. Zhou Liyue's cultivation had not yet reached Mid-stage Qi Refining, and her Formation cultivation was only at First-Rank Low Grade. It was likely she lacked the ability to repair such a Great Formation.

"Storage Pouch..."

Zhou Kaiding suddenly froze, a look of vexation on his face.

After the Wu Family was annihilated, why did he return so casually? So many resources of the Wu Family were buried in those ruins.

Although that heaven-shaking strike must have destroyed many Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Medicinal Pills, and other resources, there should still be a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.

Though the Wu Family had suffered heavy losses in the past two years, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

The more Zhou Kaiding thought about it, the more he regretted it.

Forget it, a small profit is not worth mentioning compared to the Zhou Family's safety.

Zhou Kaiding forcibly comforted himself, embracing Lin Muwan as he returned home.

Just as Mo Xuan was flying back to Jade Moon Peak with Zhou Kaiding, the families near the Wu Family, hearing Mo Xuan's voice and feeling that Foundation Establishment Stage Aura, were all inwardly terrified.

They were all filled with confusion and relief that the Zhou Family actually had a Foundation Establishment Stage Great Demon guarding them.

The confusion stemmed from how a mere Zhou Family, even though the Head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Kaiding, was a Late Qi Refining Cultivator, could possibly invite such a high-level Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator?

They were even more relieved that they hadn't offended the Zhou Family.

After Mo Xuan had departed, the Cultivators from nearby families cautiously ventured to investigate the Wu Family.

Looking at Qianling Peak, which had been reduced to ruins, their expressions were complex, and they secretly thought, of all people to provoke, why did they have to provoke the Zhou Family?

From then on, the Wu Family became history, a stepping stone for the Zhou Family's rise.

However, no one dared to make a move on the Wu Family, which lay buried beneath the ruins.

After a long while, several Family Heads discussed briefly, then returned to their respective families. After some time, they each brought their Clan disciples back to the site, circulated their magical power, and began to dig.

The next day, news of the Wu Family's demise and the Zhou Family having a Foundation Establishment Stage Great Demon guarding them spread throughout Qingyuan Town.

The annihilation of the Wu Family left the Wang, Li, Feng, and Sun Four Families incredulous. The Five Families were united, standing together against the Liu Family.

Although there were internal disputes among the families, they never expected the Wu Family to suffer the fate of complete annihilation.

The Four Families felt a sense of shared sorrow, lamenting the loss of their kind.

However, not a single Family dared to speak up for the Wu Family.

Several nearby towns were also amazed, curious about the Zhou Family and Mo Xuan.

At the same time, they were eagerly anticipating the Liu Family's reaction.

Canshu Peak.

In the Liu Family's deliberation hall, all the Elders were gathered once again. In recent years, the number of times the Liu Family Elders had assembled was even greater than in the previous decade.

The Liu Family was initially unconcerned about the annihilation of the Wu Family, but the sudden appearance of a Foundation Establishment Stage Great Demon made it impossible for them to ignore.

Previously, when the Five Families united, the Liu Family was not afraid; a few minor schemes were enough to dismantle them.

However, the situation was different now. The rise of another Foundation Establishment Stage power would inevitably lead to conflicts of interest.

The Liu Family Elders spoke at length, their opinions varied, creating a cacophony of voices.

As for Liu Wenyan, who sat at the head, listening to everyone's words, his gaze shifted between light and shadow, lost in thought.

Qizhi Peak, Yang Family.

When Yang Huaiyuan received this news, he spat out the Spirit Tea in his mouth.

It took him a good while to recover, but by then, the tea in his cup had already grown cold.

He sighed repeatedly, marveling at how deeply Zhou Kaiding had hidden his strength.

Now it seemed that Yang Linxi and Zhou Licheng becoming Dao Companions was a great advantage for the Yang Family.

Yang Huaiyuan stood up, about to leave, but stopped at the doorway.

Going now, he feared, would make it difficult to interact with Zhou Kaiding as usual. It would be better to wait a few more days, until the news had settled, before making a decision.

Moreover, given the relationship between the Zhou and Yang Families, knowing that the Zhou Family was safe was already enough.

Below Jade Moon Peak.

When Mortals were working, they noticed that the dense fog that usually enveloped Jade Moon Peak had dissipated, causing them to be surprised, wondering what had happened.

Although they were surprised, no one dared to go up and investigate.

After all, the Zhou Immortal Clan resided on that high peak.

The Zhou Clan members were like immortals and gods, possessing magical power, capable of grasping stars and seizing the moon.

Dozens of miles away from Jade Moon Peak, several figures were heading directly towards Jade Moon Peak.

As they drew closer, the three men's faces showed hesitation, but their steps did not falter. Circulating their magical power, they quickly arrived at the foot of Jade Moon Peak.

The three exchanged glances, slowed their pace, and stopped outside the original Great Formation.

One man stepped forward, circulating his magical power, and spoke:

"Zhang Changwei, Jiang Wenming, and Han Peiquan request an audience with the Head of the Zhou Family."

His voice, amplified by magical power, was resonant but not overbearing; instead, it carried a hint of caution.

Zhou Kaiding, who was inspecting his Great Formation, heard this and stopped what he was doing. Zhou Liyue, beside him, did the same.

Zhou Kaiding was puzzled. These three were the Family Heads of the Zhang, Jiang, and Han Families, all at Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, and he had encountered them a few times in the market.

The three families' strongholds were not far from the Wu Family's Qianling Peak.

He wondered why these three had come together today.

Zhou Kaiding said a few words to Zhou Liyue, then hurried to where the three men were.

Seeing Zhou Kaiding's figure, the three men repeatedly bowed:

"Greetings, Head of the Zhou Family."

Zhou Kaiding returned their greetings one by one.

Then, the three men each took out a Storage Pouch and said to Zhou Kaiding:

"These are the items we found at the foot of Qianling Peak."

"Although the Head of the Zhou Family and that Senior may not care about these, if left unattended and in their original place, they might cause unnecessary disputes."

"Therefore, we three took the liberty of finding them and returning them here. We hope the Head of the Zhou Family will not take offense."

"Oh?" Zhou Kaiding's expression brightened upon hearing this. He had just been regretting not searching last night, and these three had delivered them. It was truly heaven's help.

He was about to reach out to take them, but then something suddenly occurred to him. His expression turned serious, and he said earnestly:

"Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for the reminder. If a dispute were to arise because of me, it would indeed be my fault."

"Since that is the case, then I shall accept them."