Chương 117: Too Late

After Huaijin had seen to all his affairs, he sat alone in his chambers, staring at the Foundation Establishment Pill cradled in his palm. The small, luminous sphere seemed to pulse with a life of its own, radiating warmth and promise. He turned it over in his fingers, weighing not just its physical weight, but the immense opportunity it represented. He remained motionless for a long while, lost in thought. Finally, a decision crystallized in his mind.

He rose and made his way to the shores of the lake that graced Purple Cloud Peak. The water lay still and dark, reflecting the moon above like a polished mirror.

"Pine fish," he called out, his voice carrying across the calm surface.

"I need you to guard Purple Cloud Peak while I'm away." Zhang Huaijin had only returned home a few days ago, yet already he was preparing to depart once more. From the murky depths of the lake, a grumbling voice echoed upward, thick with irritation.

"Don't bother me!" Deep beneath the water's surface, the mysterious Pine fish was busily engaged in his own affairs, cultivating what he jokingly referred to as his "million-strong army." The creature's displeasure at the interruption was palpable. Huaijin shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The more Pine fish multiplied, the richer the resources the Zhang family would harvest.

If this enigmatic creature was so eager to contribute to the family's prosperity, he was hardly going to object. This time, he brought the Haihu along as well. —— As they traveled through the Purple Dusk Mountain Range, Huaijin sat astride Haihu's broad back, the wind whipping past his face as they made their way toward Green Bamboo Mountain. The beast moved with fluid grace, its powerful muscles rippling beneath its purple-striped hide.

In this region, the once thriving population of spirit beasts had grown remarkably sparse. The Zhang family's hunting teams had pushed deep into the inner perimeter of the mountain range, and the other families had followed in their wake, reaping bountiful harvests of their own. Cultivators at the Qi Refining realm were scattered everywhere, locked in combat with spirit beasts as they honed their skills and tested their techniques. The air rang with the clash of weapons and the roars of wounded beasts.

The Purple Spirit Tiger had now reached the second level. It moved with breathtaking speed, devouring the distance with effortless strides. In less than an hour, they arrived at Green Bamboo Mountain. ——"Oh! Huaijin, why are you back so soon?" Zhang Chongwen looked genuinely surprised. He had already dispatched people to the Gao family to purchase a Tier 2 Array formation, and Zhang Liliang had departed for Green Bamboo City with spirit stones and manpower to begin upgrading the family's spirit vein to Tier 2.

Huaijin said nothing at first. He took a seat across from his grandfather in the family's main hall, his expression guarded.

"Grandfather," he began slowly, "I happened to come across a Foundation Establishment Pill by chance." The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Zhang Chongwen's breath caught, his heart skipping a beat.

"That's excellent news!" he exclaimed, his weathered face brightening. Then his brow furrowed with concern.

"But you don't look happy. What's troubling you?" He met his grandfather's gaze steadily.

"I don't plan to put this Pill into the family treasury. I want to give it to my elder brother." Silence fell between them, heavy and profound. Zhang Chongwen leaned back in his chair, his expression softening with understanding.

"Huaijin, you obtained this pill through your own efforts, without using any family resources. It belongs to you alone. Whatever you choose to do with it is entirely your decision." He paused, his old eyes glistening with emotion.

"Everyone has their selfish desires. I understand." After a moment, he continued, his voice growing warmer.

"That you and your brother share such a deep bond, that you support each other, that makes me prouder than any treasure." But then his expression faltered. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"The problem is... Hanren has already gone into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough."

"What?" Zhang Huaijin's face drained of color. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"He's always been stubborn, that one," Zhang Chongwen said, shaking his head wearily.

"He didn't consult anyone. Didn't ask for advice or help. He just left a farewell letter for Linhui and locked himself away to cultivate." The old patriarch's voice carried a note of helpless frustration.

"Ten days ago."

"Does he think he's invincible?" Zhang Huaijin's voice was sharp, his jaw tight.

"Self-achieved Foundation Establishment, does he have any idea how rare that is? How many cultivators have destroyed themselves trying?" Zhang Chongwen sighed again, the sound heavy with unspoken fears.

"I know. But that's the atmosphere that's taken hold in our family lately..." He trailed off, but Zhang Huaijin understood perfectly. The Zhang family's recent success rate for breaking through to Foundation Establishment Realm had been nothing short of miraculous. Huaijin had achieved it on his own, without any external aids. Zhang Liliang had failed his first attempt a decade ago, waited well past the conventional age limit for such a breakthrough, and then succeeded on his second try.

These extraordinary feats had bred a dangerous arrogance among the younger family members. They had begun to believe that Foundation Establishment was within everyone's reach, that talent and preparation mattered less than sheer will. Zhang Hanren's face might have been calm, but Huaijin knew his brother well enough to recognize the same reckless hope burning beneath that composed exterior.

"Did my sister-in-law notice anything?" he asked quietly, his voice tight with emotion.

"Anything at all?"

"No one suspected a thing," Zhang Chongwen admitted.

"By the time Linhui discovered what he was doing, Hanren had already started his seclusion. At that point, there was no stopping him. To interrupt the process would have been even more dangerous." He paused, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"All we can do now is hope he succeeds." Zhang Chongwen's words were meant to comfort, but his tone betrayed his true feelings. He held no hope at all. Zhang Hanren possessed a mixed four-spirit root aptitude, the poorest quality of spiritual talent. And he was already approaching fifty-nine years of age, far past the prime window for attempting the breakthrough.

Though his foundation was solid, could his meridians possibly withstand the violent onslaught of spiritual energy that came with Foundation Establishment without the stabilizing aid of a pill? Huaijin pressed his lips together, his throat tight. No words came.

"We can only hope that he succeeds," he finally managed, his voice hollow. He rose from his seat and walked away, his shoulders slumped. His retreating figure seemed somehow diminished, the confident young cultivator replaced by a man weighed down by helpless dread. Zhang Chongwen watched him go, his own heart heavy with unspoken grief. —— Meanwhile, Wu Anhe had received Huaijin's message. Yen Tianyang had finally been found.

A little over three hours later, traveling at the fastest speed his cultivation allowed, Wu Anhe arrived at Green Bamboo Mountain. There, in the main hall, lay Yen Tianyang, his cultivation completely destroyed, his body cold and still.

"Huaijin, I owe you a debt I can never repay," Wu Anhe said, staring down at the corpse with a mixture of satisfaction and profound relief.

"I chased this man for nearly eight years. He slipped through my fingers every single time. I'd begun to believe I'd never see this day."

"He's yours now," Zhang Huaijin said, waving a dismissive hand. Since he had decided to hand the man over to Wu Anhe, Yen Tianyang naturally couldn't be left alive. Huaijin had ordered Haihu to finish the job. It had been mercifully quick. Wu Anhe didn't mind the condition of the body. He had never wanted Yen Tianyang alive, he only wanted revenge for Lu Anlan, to finally bring peace to his spirit in the afterlife.

He had died so unjustly, a victim of Yen Tianyang's ruthless ambition, and justice had been far too long in coming. Because of Zhang Hanren's desperate gamble, Huaijin was in no mood for conversation or celebration. He exchanged only a few brief words with Wu Anhe before excusing himself and departing. Wu Anhe lingered for a while, sharing news with Zhang Chongwen, before finally taking Yen Tianyang's body and leaving as well.

—— The news of Yen Tianyang's death spread like wildfire through Langya County, igniting a storm of shock and speculation among the major powers. For decades, Yen Tianyang had been an inescapable name in the region, a dreaded rogue cultivator who had risen from obscurity to become one of the most powerful figures in the county. No one had expected him to fall so easily, so utterly, at Zhang Huaijin's hands. Among the three major Foundation Establishment families, the mood was complex.

The most powerful among them held the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, yet he had been dispatched with casual ease by a cultivator of the second level. It was a sobering display of Huaijin's true strength. His meteoric rise showed no signs of slowing. If his advancement continued at this pace, it wouldn't be long before the Zhang family had the resources and prestige to relocate to Qingtai City. But no one was more excited by the news than the Yang family.

Years ago, Yen Tianyang had stolen the Yang family's Foundation Establishment Pill, the very pill that had enabled his rise. Without that theft, the Yang family would very likely have become one of Langya County's Tier 2 powers instead. The Yang family had nursed a burning hatred for Yen Tianyang ever since. But as his strength grew, their chances of revenge had dwindled to nothing. They had been forced to watch in silence as their enemy prospered, powerless to act. Now, finally, justice had been done.

Yang Jing, the family patriarch, lay on his deathbed. He had been clinging to life through sheer stubbornness, determined to see his enemy brought low before he died. When the news of Yen Tianyang's death reached him, he struggled up from his cot with desperate strength, his frail body trembling with emotion. Nearly thirty years had passed since Huaijin's rise had begun. The Yang family's patriarch was now well past the end of his natural lifespan, sustained only by the bitter fire of his hatred.

"Bring out the treasured heirloom," he commanded, his voice a harsh rasp like splintering wood.

"I'm going to the Zhang family personally to express our gratitude." His children exchanged worried glances. None of them moved.

"Father, your health is too fragile..." one of them began hesitantly.

"Have I lost all authority in this family?" Yang Jing's rheumy eyes blazed with fury.

"Do you begrudge the treasure, or do you simply not care whether I live or die?" He took a ragged breath, his voice rising with the last of his strength.

"Birth, aging, sickness, death, none of these are within my power to choose! But the survival of our family, that is a choice I can still make! And I refuse to let you fools squander our one chance!" The old man's voice cracked, but he forced himself onward, each word like a dying roar from an ancient lion.

"This is our final opportunity! The perfect moment to forge a lasting bond with the Zhang family! Anyone who stands in my way will be removed, family or not! Now bring me that treasure, or may the ancestors curse you all!" A dead silence fell over the Yang family's main hall. No one dared to speak, let alone disobey.