165: Chapter 165 The Xie Family of Xuan Yuan

The Cultivators watching from afar in the city turned pale one by one. Some had weak legs and collapsed to the ground, while others turned and ran without daring to look back.

Standing behind Chunhui Xie was the Xuanyuan Dynasty Xie Family; yet, a young man at the Initial Stage of Void Refinement dared to act in such a manner.

Yun Tianxiang did not care about those gazes. He withdrew his hand, turned around, and swept toward the direction outside the city.

As he traveled, he reviewed the images from Steward Wang's memory regarding Muyun Villa in his mind.

Muyun Villa was nestled among the mountains; on the surface, it was a villa of the Xie Family, but in reality, it was a stronghold used for secret drug testing and imprisoning captives.

The dungeon was divided into three levels. The top level held the Loose Cultivators who had just been captured, the second level held those who had been screened for drug testing, and the deepest level held prisoners with special identities or abnormal Physique.

And his younger brother, Tianque, was imprisoned in the deepest part.

The news of Chunhui Xie being destroyed was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in Qingkui City and several surrounding cities, and spreading rapidly to even further places.

In less than half a day, the news reached the capital of the Xuanyuan Dynasty and fell into the hands of the Xie Family head, Xie Wanan.

Xie Wanan sat on the main seat of the council hall, clutching the message-transmitting Jade Slip in his hand, his face livid.

His gaze fell on the short sentence in the Jade Slip: "Chunhui Xie was attacked and turned into ruins; the Head Steward Wang Tong and three offerings all perished, with no survivors at the scene."

In the hall, several Elders of the Xie Family stood with their hands hanging down, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They could feel the suppressed anger swirling around the Family head, like dark clouds churning before a storm, ready to erupt at any moment.

Xie Wanan was silent for a moment, then slowly put down the Jade Slip. His gaze swept across everyone in the hall, and his voice was hoarse and low: "Chunhui Xie has been destroyed by someone."

Everyone in the hall had already learned about this matter through their own sources, but hearing the Family head say it himself still made their hearts sink.

"Have you found out who did it?" Xie Wanan's voice remained low, but it carried an irrepressible ferocity.

"Reporting to the Family head." One Elder stepped forward and cupped his hands.

"According to the news from Qingkui City, the person who made the move was a young man in grey robes with the cultivation of the Initial Stage of Void Refinement. He killed three offerings of the same level with his own power."

"He seemed to be looking for someone. He first stopped the carriage transporting medicinal materials for Chunhui Xie, then followed the clues to find the Chunhui Xie residence. After forcing a confession from the steward, he wiped out the entire place and then left Qingkui City, heading in the southwest direction."

"Southwest direction." Xie Wanan frowned slightly.

"Muyun Villa is in the southwest direction." Another Elder spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of gravity, "Family head, I fear this person is heading for Muyun Villa."

Xie Wanan did not reply immediately; his fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest, making a crisp sound.

A moment later, he slowly stood up and paced to the window, his gaze looking toward the sky in the distance covered by clouds and mist.

"Initial Stage of Void Refinement, one against three, crushing those of the same level." His voice carried a hint of coldness, "He is indeed a formidable character, but unfortunately, he should not have provoked the Xie Family."

He turned around, his gaze like a knife, sweeping across everyone in the hall: "Pass down the order to dispatch two Late Stage of Void Refinement offerings of the Xie Family to Muyun Villa immediately and capture this person at all costs."

"If he resists, kill him without mercy."

"Yes." The Elder bowed to accept the order and turned to leave in a hurry.

Xie Wanan sat back down, tapping his fingertips on the armrest, while a gloomy dark glint flashed in his eyes.

"It seems someone has already forgotten about what happened half a year ago."

Half a year ago, it was not yet the time when the Xie Family dominated alone.

At that time, in the Xuanyuan Dynasty, besides the Xie Family, there were four other Families.

The Lin Family, Zhao Family, Zhou Family, and Wu Family—these four, together with the Xie Family, were known as the Five Great Families of the Xuanyuan Dynasty. Each occupied a sphere of influence, checking and balancing each other, maintaining a pattern that had lasted for thousands of years.

But all of this was completely broken that night.

It was a moonless night. Xie Wanan was handling Family affairs in his study when, suddenly, three figures appeared in his study without any warning.

The three were all dressed in black and masked, with an aura swirling around them that made even him feel palpitations.

That was an existence beyond the Body Integration stage, at least a powerhouse above the Mahayana Stage.

Xie Wanan wanted to activate the defensive Formation in the study at that time, but the leader raised his hand and pressed it in the air. An invisible force froze his movements, and he could not even move a single finger.

"Family Head Xie, there is no need to be nervous." The leader spoke, his voice hoarse and flat, devoid of any emotion, "We have come this time to deliver a great gift to you."

Xie Wanan did not reply, only staring fixedly at the three people in front of him, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

The leader continued: "We can help you eradicate the other four Families, help you become the sole Family of the Xuanyuan Dynasty, and even help you overthrow the Xuanyuan Dynasty to establish a new dynasty."

Xie Wanan's pupils contracted violently. To be able to destroy the four great Families overnight and openly speak of overthrowing the Imperial Dynasty—the origins and background of these three people were already beyond the scope of what he could imagine.

"What is the condition?" Xie Wanan suppressed the shock in his heart and asked in a deep voice.

"It's very simple." The leader took out a Jade Slip from his sleeve and placed it on the desk in front of Xie Wanan, "Use the method in this Jade Slip to capture people for us."

"What kind of people?"

"Sect Disciples, members of Families, or even Loose Cultivators—all will do."

The man paused, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable pressure, "At least one hundred people every month."

"Send the captured people to that Muyun Villa of yours in the southwest direction of Qingkui City, and someone will naturally come to receive them."

"If you can do it, the four Families will be yours for the taking. If you cannot do it, the Xie Family will perish together with the four Families."

Xie Wanan looked at the Jade Slip on the desk, silent for a long time, and finally reached out and grasped it.

The subsequent events were exactly as the three had promised.

That night, the four great Families suffered a catastrophic disaster almost at the same time.

Overnight, the four great Families turned into ruins, and the foundation accumulated over thousands of years vanished into thin air.

When the news spread, the Xuanyuan Dynasty was shaken. Imperial Lord Xu Hongyuan personally ordered a thorough investigation, but the people sent to investigate searched through the ruins for several days and never found any useful clues.

The aura of those who made the move had been wiped clean, leaving not even a trace of residual spiritual power fluctuations.

In the end, the matter was classified as a conflict caused by internal strife among the four great Families and was left unsettled.

No one suspected the Xie Family. How could a Family that did not even have anyone at the Late Stage of Body Integration destroy four opponents of equivalent strength overnight?