Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Chapter 272 249: Flatten (Two In One)_2

"The Fei Clan... it's the Fei Clan, Uncle Yu Yufeng... What has happened to Uncle Yu Yufeng?"

Yu Xiao'ao felt his head spinning, and the few individuals below him looked at him with confusion, whispering among themselves:

"This is... the Great Formation has been triggered... Who would kick us when we're down at such a time..."

"Where is the ancestor? We just need the ancestor to come!"

Yu Xiao'ao took a moment to steady himself, and then, feeling exhausted, he sighed deeply and replied:

"Each of you, maintain your Formation Flags and prepare to face the enemy!"

The Yu Family's various cultivators entered the Formation to maintain it, while Yu Xiao'ao took charge of the control diagram of the Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation. The Great Formation immediately became much brighter. Above them, Fei Wangbai in his grey clothing, his face vague and indistinct, spoke in a hoarse and unpleasant voice:

"Taoist Fellow, I entrust this Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation to you."

Jiang Heqian also had his face concealed, though neither his voice nor clothing was hidden. The fog masking his face was barely sufficient, revealing a hint of his features as if he didn't mind, or even preferred, to be recognized by the Yu Family members. He responded coldly:

"Rest assured, Taoist Fellow! This Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation is a legacy of my great father. The Yu thieves only know that the Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation can draw on the Earth Vein and combine the power of multiple formations, but they are clueless about the real secret within!"

A milky white light screen rose from the formation below, and Yu Xiao'ao's face faintly emerged from the formation, making a thunderous noise under the enhancement of the formation.

"Why are you, fellow cultivators, attacking our Yu Family's market for no reason? Please, think it through. Our family's ancestor..."

Yu Xiao'ao wanted to stall for time, but Fei Wangbai had already swept a sleeve over, producing a huge booming sound against the formation, abruptly interrupting Yu Xiao'ao's words. His cloak and cape silently drifted apart. Fei Wangbai, perhaps fearful of being recognized, restrained any Transformation, and did not draw his Spear, though Immortal Foundation's intricacies were already subtly in motion.

Jiang Heqian let out a cold laugh, his teeth grinding together, his expression somewhat ferocious. As a man with few connections, he feared nothing, with jade-like patterns appearing between his eyes. His palms came together, and six streaks of white Dharma Light appeared on him, like jade. The lines of jade ran through his skin, extending from his elbows and earlobes, floating in the air like several strands of white silk.

The moment this Immortal Foundation was revealed, the members of the Yu Family below were stunned, with some even losing control of the Formation Flags, flickering uncertainly. It was because Jiang Heqian's Immortal Foundation manifestation was identical to that of the Yu Family's ancestor, Yu Yufeng, from years ago, leading many to wild speculations.

Yu Xiao'ao was greatly shocked, his soul nearly leaping out of his body as he exclaimed in disbelief:

"The 'Jade Court General'... How is that possible!"

Jiang Heqian's Immortal Foundation was precisely the 'Jade Court General' formed from the 'White-haired Courtyard Bowing Scripture.' The 'White-haired Courtyard Bowing Scripture' had long since lost the essence of 'Courtyard Dust', and the Yu Family only retained a portion of nature's spiritual energy, which they used on Yu Yufeng. Since then, there had been no one else who had reached such a level, and now seeing this newcomer activating the Immortal Foundation Jade Court General, Yu Xiao'ao's mind went blank, filled with various conjectures.

He even ignored the two attacking the formation and despairingly said:

"It's you..."

The two outsiders didn't give him the chance. Fei Wangbai didn't use his Spear, but simply used Spelss and physical attacks to suppress the Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation. Jiang Heqian, on the other hand, flew forward and pressed his palm against it, the jade-like patterns extending into and quickly spreading within the milky white Formation.

"This is..."

Yu Xiao'ao was in turmoil, realizing that the Formation was growing more and more restless. The control he had maintained through the diagram was slowly weakening. His heart pounded frantically as he felt both incredulous and as if it was a karmic consequence. Yu Xiao'ao said hoarsely:

"It's the Jiangs."

The Great Formation trembled incessantly, visible cracks flickering in and out of existence on the Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation. Yu Xiao'ao heard the alarmed shouts and faint cries outside the hall and slowly let go of his grip.

"Bang!"

The Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation, painstakingly established by the Yu Family using the Spirit Veins of five Immortal Mountains, crumbled like a torn piece of paper under Jiang Heqian's spellcasting. The milky-white light barrier slowly faded away, dissolving into speckles of flowing light that vanished into the forests of Secret Forest County.

Below, clusters of buildings came into view. The market of Secret Forest County had yet to open, and most of the figures were Yu Family Cultivators and Guest Elders. With two at the Foundation Establishment level and a host of those in Fetal Breathing and Qi Cultivation left without the Formation to rely on, none dared to linger, each escaping in all directions.

Fei Wangbai's accompanying Guest Elders descended towards various Formation points. With hardly any hesitation, Jiang Heqian moved, landing at the highest point in the great hall. With a single step, he shattered the dome of the hall and fell inside.

"Boom..."

Yu Xiao'ao was repelled by the backlash of the Yu Courtyard Guarding Great Formation, his internal organs aching thoroughly, his Mana drained completely, his body feeling devoid and nearly collapsing. There was no chance of fleeing on the winds. All he could do was watch as roof tiles and rubble fell, retreating futilely a few steps.

"Are you... from the Jiang Family?"

Yu Xiao'ao no longer thought of escaping. With a complex expression, having reached the Immortal Foundation "Jade Courtyard General," and specifically targeting the Yu Family with knowledge of how to break the Yu Courtyard Guarding Great Formation, he recognized Jiang Heqian, who bore a resemblance to his deceased wife.

The Yu Family and the An Family were both originally external Cultivators of the Jiang Family. After the Jiang Family's decline, the Yu Family, jointly with the An Family, began eroding the Jiang Family's holdings bit by bit, like a dull knife cuts flesh. In the end, both families had the Jiang Family's bloodline. Now faced with the once-lord of the family, Yu Xiao'ao felt immensely complicated.

Jiang Heqian's eyes narrowed slightly, and like Yu Yufeng of years past, his pupils had a jade-like translucency. Those fearsome eyes stared straight at Yu Xiao'ao.

Jiang Heqian remained silent, his gaze fixed upon Yu Xiao'ao, making him retreat again and again, his expression distressed. Although Yu Xiao'ao was of the generation bearing the "Xiao" prefix, he was older than Yu Yufeng due to the accumulation of generations. His mother was from the Jiang Family, his grandmother was from the Jiang Family, his wife was from the Jiang Family, and in the end, the one he killed was also from the Jiang Family.

Yu Xiao'ao's mind conjured up many chaotic illusions — his mother, his grandmother, their eyes merging at this moment, flashing like lightning through his aged mind. Jiang Heqian had not yet struck, but already Yu Xiao'ao was in full retreat.

"Pfft!"

Yu Xiao'ao thought the middle-aged man before him could be his brother-in-law, or perhaps his cousin once removed, or something else, but his jade-like hand had already pierced through Yu Xiao'ao's chest, extracting the old man's beating heart.

Joy wormed through Jiang Heqian's heart, but the pitiful and surprised look in the old man's eyes made him feel compassion, as if he had swallowed a fly, and he could not bear to look directly. The ferocity in his eyes slowly diminished, replaced with moist pain. Jiang Heqian thought:

"Perhaps this old man is my brother-in-law, or perhaps my cousin, or something else."

Bowing his head, Jiang Heqian slowly withdrew his arm, causing Yu Xiao'ao to spurt out a mouthful of fresh blood, drenching his white beard with streaks. He struggled to glare with his turbid old eyes, wanting to see the middle-aged man's face clearly. Despite the savagery, his eyes still deeply resembled his late wife's — agile and carrying a faintly floating sorrow.

In his mind flashed the dim light of the wedding night, the woman looking at Yu Xiao'ao with a mournful expression. The fifteen-year-old Yu Xiao'ao was utterly captivated, lifting her long hair, calling her He Qing.

As the world spun, Yu Xiao'ao felt the mockery of fate. The old man's chest heaved like a bellows, his saliva dripping slowly from the corner of his mouth, dropping bit by bit. Unable to control his bladder, the shameful sight of the old man trembling, he stammered out two words:

"Qing'er."

Jiang Heqian let out a cold laugh, as though mocking him. Yu Xiao'ao could only lower his head, looking at the white arm passing through his chest. His wrinkled old hand gently covered the arm, patting it softly and tenderly.

With the last breath of his Qi Cultivating Peak gone, Yu Xiao'ao's vitality faded, and his head drooped down heavily.