Linghai Prefecture had originally been the domain of the Yu Family.

After the Azure Pond Sect regained control of the area, the Yu Family quickly changed their allegiance. With several of their ancestors serving in the Azure Pond Sect, they managed to retain most of their territory and continued to dominate Linghai Prefecture.

However, after the deaths of several ancestors, the Yu Family's influence slowly waned year after year. Despite the emergence of a genius, Yu Yuxie, he quickly perished at the southern border, leading to the decline of the main branch of the Yu Family.

Several branches united with external families and established their own bases. Although the vast territory still nominally belonged to the Yu Family, they were fragmented and operated independently.

Fortunately, Linghai Prefecture was located in the southeast, surrounded by no external enemies, and the Azure Pond Sect did not allow clans to span prefectures. Thus, the fragmented Yu Family managed to maintain a status quo, preserving a rigid social structure that had lasted for nearly two centuries.

The wide road was bustling with people. From time to time, small traders and vendors passed by on donkeys and horses. By the roadside, a raggedly dressed boy sat, his face pale and lips blood-red, his gaze lightly scanning the passersby. Suddenly, he spoke, "Master, what exactly are the cultivators of the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao cultivating?"

From among the passersby emerged an old farmer, who was sweating profusely. He sat down next to the boy, his stench overwhelming. With a mouth full of yellow teeth, he replied, "The Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao... The cultivation method involves consuming people, playing with spells, refining pills, gathering qi, and manipulating the lives of others… None of their cultivators are good people."

The boy raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Does this path not cultivate the metallic essence? To seek longevity, one will naturally use all means possible."

The old farmer spat and scoffed. "Heh! The Maha and Dharma Masters who cultivate destinies aren't any better. You will serve the Mahas for generations, year after year under their rule. Encountering a Maha or Dharma Master brings about despair and injustice that is even worse than dealing with Golden Core Daoists!"

The old farmer ranted agitatedly, his spit flying everywhere. The boy covered his nose and protested, "Old man, maybe you should change your skin… This one is too stinky!"

The old farmer paused, as if realizing something. He looked around in confusion, slapped his thigh, and cursed, "What the hell, how did I end up in this state? I am getting muddle-headed over the years…"

He jumped up and walked down the road, ignoring the boy who was traveling with him. Shortly after, a female farmer, relatively clean in appearance, came by, cursing with a smile, "Having practiced spells for over ten years, and yet you still care about appearances!"

The boy curled his lip and remarked, "You sure have it easy… avoiding the emissaries of death and wandering the world carefreely!"

"Damn it," the female farmer cursed before she continued ranting, "I have given most of my metallic essence and fate to them. What I have left is neither enough to form a Golden Core nor to become a Maha. Instead, I am just barely surviving. What is so carefree about that? Luckily, the heavenly fate has changed. If there were still calamities now, I would not even be able to survive. To end up like this is truly laughable!"

The boy sneered indifferently as he replied, "You mentioned that Duanmu Kui from Mount Yue was extraordinary and talented, but he still ended up being reduced to ashes without even a chance for reincarnation. At least, you can try again. What's so laughable about that?"

The female farmer laughed, showing her yellowed teeth. With her hands on her hips, her strong arms revealed, she explained, "Duamu Kui was violent and obsessed with reaching the Golden Core Realm. He fully believed that he could reach the Golden Core Realm just because of a promise from an immortal. It was no surprise he met his end. It wasn't that he couldn't endure humiliation; he simply refused to. Had it come to a fight, those two emissaries might not have been his match. Even as a monster after his death, he almost escaped them. Duanmu Kui was indeed a formidable man in his time... far beyond my reach."

The boy nodded thoughtfully, and the female farmer said seriously, "Yan’er, let us not talk about this. You and I will join forces to give the Azure Pond Sect a show of strength. You can avenge your mother's death, and I will seek a good Dao foundation. Once we finish these tasks, we'll hide away and cultivate."

The young man nodded silently, then asked, "What kind of Dao foundation are you looking for?"

The female farmer paused for a moment before speaking, "Forget about Man On Creek and Boundless Ocean… Xiao Chuting wants to cultivate the Sexagenary Pit Water Thousand Slow Essence. If I were to find either of those, a sinister man like him will surely eat me when the time comes. The Purple Mansion Realm cultivators of Changxiao Gate and Great Xiukui Temple also show potential for a breakthrough, so we definitely cannot pick either of those... As for Daoist Master Shangyuan, there are not many paths he can cultivate."

After a moment of thought, she replied, "There are many thunder cultivators in this Yue State, but none have achieved the Purple Mansion Realm. That's a viable path. Go find me a Dao foundation like Winter Thunderclap or Spring Awakening!"

The young man nodded, tapped his foot on the ground, and rose lightly into the air. The female farmer on the ground hurriedly raised her wrinkled, calloused hands, pinched her fingers, and calculated, shouting loudly, "Thirty-two li to the north, there is a market town operated by the Azure Pond Sect!"

The young man heard her words, and in the blink of an eye, reached the illusion formation in front of the market town. The grand formation of the Azure Pond Sect's market town had already been shattered, revealing layers upon layers of buildings and densely packed spirit fields.

Shouts and exclamations rose and fell in waves. Someone exclaimed, "Why did you deactivate the grand formation, Senior Brother Chi?! What are you doing? Hurry up and re-activate it! Are you not afraid of being punished by the sect?!"

In the air stood a cultivator dressed in green robes, his face attractive but tarnished with a crazed expression. His robes were stained with blood as he cackled wildly with a bloodthirsty grin. He was clearly in a trance-like state.

The cultivator flew forward to subdue Senior Brother Chi, but he drew his blade in a frenzy, slashing at the man. The man then hastily activated his dharma artifact to block the oncoming attack.

Clang!

The artifact was repelled and sent flying out like a bird. Fresh, red blood splattered around violently.

Both of them were usually evenly matched, but Senior Brother Chi was unnaturally strong today. He easily deflected the man’s dharma artifact and severed his arm with a single slash.

The pain and shock were unbearable for the man, but to everyone’s horror, his severed arm stretched out like a lump of mud, leaping and writhing like a frenzied mule, clawing at her own face.

"What kind of spell is this?!" Senior Brother Chi exclaimed in shock.

"Senior Brother! Let us help you!"

The remaining Azure Pond Sect cultivators flew up to assist immediately, but they were too late. The man, slapped hard by his own hand, spun like a top for about four or five revolutions before finally losing all signs of life.

"What?!"

The rescuing cultivators were stunned into silence. The lifeless body of the man trembled momentarily in mid-air before his other hand reached up toward his neck.

Without warning, he ripped out a bloody white spine, swinging it like a sword at the approaching cultivators.

Realizing the impending danger, the cultivators quickly shot out over a dozen talismans, their faces pale with fear as they shouted, "Devil cultivator! A Purple Mansion Realm devil cultivator..."

Crack.

Before he could finish, he was smacked hard on the head, spinning like a top before falling silent. His limbs were separated from his body, yanking out his heart, spleen, stomach, and lungs, which then moved independently, each seeking out other cultivators.

"Devil cultivator... A devil cultivator!"

The entire market turned into a bloody massacre, with screams echoing everywhere.

The young man stood quietly in the air, with flesh and blood swirling around him like obedient beasts, sticking close to his side. He smiled maniacally as he watched the fleeing cultivators and called out loudly to the distant figures, "Tell the Azure Pond Sect that Jiang Yan has come to avenge the massacre of the prefecture!"

His voice echoed through the air icily, and the Azure Pond Sect cultivators fled even faster. Jiang Yan savored the moment, while the head of a man, with his hair now disheveled, flew past him, spitting blood and laughing as it spoke, "The Azure Pond Sect is so arrogant… This whole market does not even have a single Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Hurry and leave; the Yu Family is already on their way!"