Chapter 138: Upon the Peak of Yandang, A Final Farewell to an Old Friend (Second Update)

"Life and death are determined by fate. Today, I enter the Foundation Establishment stage."

As these thunderous words echoed, the stone doors of the palace shattered into a cloud of dust. A handsome figure stood with his hands behind his back, walking slowly forward. His starry eyes seemed to reflect the myriad phenomena of the universe, piercing straight to the origin of all things.

Having stepped into Foundation Establishment, this world no longer held any secrets from Jiang Yu. He could perceive the spiritual essence drifting through the void like mist; he could see the seeds hidden deep within the soil and even sense the spark of life within them; he could gaze into the dark depths of fissures in the open ground, seeing the tiny cracks as clearly as if they were illuminated by daylight.

Before, Jiang Yu had felt as if he were living behind a veil. Now that the veil had been lifted, the world suddenly became crystal clear.

Dozens of people had gathered outside, the commotion in the great hall having long since drawn them there.

"We pay our respects to Master Jiang."

Everyone bowed, their faces filled with reverence and fervor.

Fang Qian, the young heiress of the Fang family, felt a spark of wonder in her beautiful eyes. "What a handsome man."

Is he truly the legendary young master who shook Jiangbei and made countless titans bow before him?

Questions swirled in her mind the moment she saw him. Having attained the rank of an Inner Strength Grandmaster at eighteen, Fang Qian possessed a natural pride. In her view, the most exceptional geniuses were those who could reach the level of Condensed Strength before twenty; as for reaching the rank of Grandmaster, such a feat was rare in a century. Yet, this youth who looked barely nineteen had already marched upon the Qin family, slain powerful masters, and stunned the world while she was still feeling smug about her own achievements.

Wang Er, a genius from the Royal Clan, also wore a complex expression. He clenched his fists; the youth before him was too formidable. It felt as if a prehistoric beast stood in his presence. Could his own trump cards be crushed by a single finger of this man?

"Fang Qian of the Fang family pays respects to Master Jiang."

"Wang Er of the Royal Clan pays respects to Master Jiang."

Neither dared to hesitate; they quickly led their followers to kneel and beg for forgiveness. They had waited at the Qin estate for over three months, not daring to leave for a single day until Jiang Yu emerged from his seclusion.

Jiang Yu’s appearance had changed significantly; unless one looked closely, he was like a different person. He was now tall and striking, clad only in a few tattered rags.

"Rise."

The fault of the Cold Pool lay primarily with the Qin family. Since both clans had sent people to apologize, Jiang Yu would not trouble them further. Flattening the Qin family had likely already alerted the Hidden Sects. The fact that they hadn't appeared yet meant his actions were still within their acceptable threshold. To destroy the Fang family or the Royal Clan as well would risk crossing into Earth Immortal territory, inviting unnecessary trouble. Unless absolutely necessary, Jiang Yu was unwilling to clash head-on with the Hidden Sects just yet. After all, behind the Hidden Sects stood a behemoth that was among the most powerful in the world.

"May I ask, Immortal Master, have you broken through to the Earth Immortal realm?" the Grand Elder asked, his voice trembling as he used an honorific for Jiang Yu.

At this, everyone held their breath. Fang Qian and Wang Er’s hearts hammered, desperate to hear the answer. A nineteen-year-old Earth Immortal? The very thought caused Wang Er’s mind to short-circuit.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, Jiang Yu shook his head lightly. "I have not yet entered the Earth Immortal realm. However, even if an Earth Immortal were to come, I would not fear him."

With the step into Foundation Establishment came the spontaneous manifestation of divine abilities. Jiang Yu’s arsenal was no longer limited to his previous few tricks.

Could he contend with an Earth Immortal? A chill ran down everyone's spines. This man was not even twenty years old yet.

Fang Qian felt a sense of relief. It was fortunate that the Fang family had chosen the right path by yielding to him to dissolve his hostility. Had they waited for him to come knocking, the head of the Fang family would have been the next Qin Muchen. In the face of such a monster, even the Hidden Sects would likely be reluctant to intervene.

Over the next three months, the collapsed buildings of the Qin estate were fully renovated. Jiang Yu was invited into a room, where he quietly listened to reports on the changes in the outside world. He frowned, sighing inwardly. He had not expected such earth-shattering changes to occur in just over three months of seclusion.

Looking at those seated below, Jiang Yu waved at Xia Ning. "Come and sit by my side."

Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Xia Ning happily ran to Jiang Yu’s side and sat with him. Everyone understood the implications of this action. Xia Housheng wore a joyful smile, looking at the others with a sense of pride. The young lady of the Qin family bit her lip, a flicker of indescribable emotion in her eyes. Since returning to the Qin estate, she had been neglected by Jiang Yu, and for some reason, she felt a sense of loss.

Jiang Yu paid no heed to this, whispering, "Xu Daozhi?"

In the current world, only cultivators who had survived from ancient times could attain the level of Harmonious Strength before the age of twenty. Jiang Yu’s expression grew grave; he realized that he was not the only immortal in this world.

"Interesting. I wonder how many years this Xu Daozhi has lived compared to me?"

Jiang Yu remained indifferent. In the past five thousand years, how many immortals had he slain? If they didn't provoke him, it was fine; if they did, he would strike them down without hesitation.

"There is no need to fear him. If his people provoke you, do exactly what you must without any hesitation."

These words were a reassurance to Li Hao and the others. Li Hao knew well how Jiang Yu protected his own. For the sake of Gu Feifei, he had offended the Hidden Sects, killed four Grandmasters in a fit of rage at the peak of Huating, and used the most ruthless methods to seize all shares of Huating Entertainment.

Recently, wealthy figures from Jiangnan and Zhongzhou, relying on Xu Daozhi’s backing, had been wantonly annexing assets in Jiangbei and Monan. This bullying was not limited to the martial world; it extended to business and commerce as well. The wealthy of Jiangbei and Monan retreated again and again, none daring to openly oppose Xu Daozhi. He was the one who had leveled the Ancient Vajra Temple and the Xingyi Sect, even severely wounding two Harmonious Strength masters from the Hidden Sects, only stopping when Gu Changsheng personally intervened.

"Teacher, do you know what they are saying in the secular martial world now?" Li Hao asked with a smile.

"What are they saying?" Jiang Yu asked.

Li Hao curled his lips. "The young Master Jiang of Jiangbei is to be respected, but not feared."

Jiang Yu paused, then chuckled.

Xia Housheng slammed his palm on the armrest and stood up angrily. "Do they think Master Jiang is soft-hearted and won't launch a massacre like Xu Daozhi?"

Jiang Yu waved his hand. "It is fine. The secular martial world has seen so many people killed by Xu Daozhi that their hearts have turned cold. Compared to him, my methods are indeed much gentler." He turned to the young lady of the Qin family. "You should be glad that the person the Qin family offended was me, not Xu Daozhi."

...

Yuzhou, Huating Tower.

In the office, Gu Feifei looked on in terror. She stared at the two men sitting on the sofa: one had black hair and eyes, wore straw sandals and hemp clothing, and had white hair and a white beard. Before him lay heaps of ash in the shapes of human figures. The other man had long golden hair, blue eyes, and a ruggedly handsome face, a gentlemanly smile playing on his lips.

Three minutes ago, twelve people in the office had been reduced to ash by a ball of fire thrown by the old man. Gu Feifei, having witnessed it all, sat pale and trembling before them.

"Not bad, you have some backbone," the old man said, his voice booming with a laugh of approval.

Gu Feifei clenched her small hands, forcing herself to stay calm. "I am Master Jiang's woman. If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, he will scour the world to destroy you." She still held onto that conviction.

"Wens, this woman is yours," the old man said, standing up and walking to the window to overlook the bustling crowd below. "Yuzhou has two beauties: the night view of Little Victoria and the red clouds over the Yu River. I wonder how vibrant these red clouds will look once they are stained with blood?"

Behind him, Wens walked calmly to Gu Feifei and said in fluent Chinese, "We came here specifically to provoke him."

As he finished speaking, Wens turned his fingers into blades and slashed at Gu Feifei’s arm.

*Puff!*

Blood sprayed, and Gu Feifei fainted from the pain.

"I want to see how that Jiang Yu will react when he sees you tortured like this," Wens sneered. The dignity of the Rothschild family could not be offended by mere ants.

He slashed again.

"Enough, do not kill her," the old man commanded.

Wens licked the blood from his hand. "The scent of a Chinese girl is always so intoxicating. Fine, then I shall just sever her arms." He smiled.

"Spread the word: we are waiting for him at Mount Yandang in Yuzhou."

Three days later.

Gu Feifei, Chairwoman of Huating Entertainment, was found hanging from the peak of Mount Yandang, her life hanging by a thread.

The Shadow Slayer, the Venerable Flame-Breaker, and the Rothschild family’s powerful esper had issued a duel challenge to Jiang Yu at Mount Yandang.

"Let this be a lesson to the secular world: anyone connected to Jiang Yu shall meet the same fate as Gu Feifei!"