Chương 130: Grudges That Wait

The Five Elements Crystals were rare treasures, found only within the deepest earth-veins of the world. They were named after the five elemental forces: the Metal Crystal, the Wood Crystal, the Water Crystal, the Fire Crystal, and the Earth Crystal, each attuned to one of the five elements that shaped the heavens and the earth. Every single one of these crystals could only assist a cultivator whose Spirit Root matched its corresponding element. To attempt otherwise was to invite disaster.

The Purple Sun Jade, however, was far more versatile. Regardless of a cultivator's Spirit Root, it could be used freely. For a Tier 2 cultivator standing at the very peak of their realm, a single piece of Purple Sun Jade increased the odds of breaking through to the Purple Mansion by a full fifty percent. In contrast, a Five Elements Crystal could only boost that chance by thirty percent. A fire-attributed cultivator could only consume the Fire Crystal.

If they were foolish enough to swallow the Water Crystal instead, they would be courting certain death. The Fang family's influence continued to swell, while the Zhou family, now reduced to just two Purple Mansion cultivators, fell further behind in their ongoing struggle for dominance. For the Zhang family, the Purple Sun Jade remained a distant, almost unreachable goal.

Though Huaijin was not the first Foundation Establishment cultivator the Zhang family had produced, he would undoubtedly be the first to ascend to the Purple Mansion. With the Realm-Breaking Pearl in his possession, he had no need for the Purple Sun Jade or other treasures to aid his breakthrough. The other members of his clan would need decades just to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment.

By the time they did, Huaijin would have already crossed into the Purple Mansion realm, and by then, the search for such jade would be far less daunting. Three days later, Fang Tao sought Huaijin out once more. Huaijin, too, was eager to hear what explanation the man had to offer.

"Brother, I must apologize!" Fang Tao's voice was thick with regret as he clasped Huaijin's hands.

"It seems the leak of information back then came from Fang Tianyu's faction. I truly never imagined that my simple offer of alliance would drag you into our family's internal squabbles. Thank the heavens you survived, and that your battle prowess proved so extraordinary that you were able to slay those Jin family cultivators. If anything had happened to you, I would never have forgiven myself!" His face was a masterwork of earnest sincerity. Huaijin's expression remained perfectly calm, but inwardly, he sneered.

If I had died back then, would anyone have cared? The Fang family was an old, entrenched power, a clan that had stood for over eight hundred years. Within its walls, factions clashed and schemed, their roots tangled deep. Fang Tao's friendship with Huaijin, along with the young man's evident potential, and the fact that he had managed to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill, had painted a target on his back. At the time, Huaijin had only been at the second level.

In the eyes of certain Fang family elders, he had been little more than an insect. They had never anticipated his combat ability to be so fearsome, he had single-handedly slain two mid-level Tier 2 cultivators. Though the dead were Jin family members, not their own, the faction had still lost two precious Foundation Establishment Pills in the debacle. It was a textbook case of a scheme backfiring. So naturally, they held a grudge against Huaijin. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road.

Report any occurrences. The most prominent figure in that faction was Fang Tianyu. Fang Tao's own faction, meanwhile, boasted a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Both sides coveted the family's treasured resources for breaking through to the Purple Mansion, locked in a bitter, unceasing rivalry. The three Purple Mansion ancestors of the Fang family watched from above, offering neither intervention nor disapproval.

They were fully aware of the risks involved, but as long as they remained in control, they considered nothing truly dangerous. The failed assassination attempt, instigated by Fang Tianyu, had backfired spectacularly. He regretted his misjudgment of Huaijin's strength, but such matters could not be openly acknowledged, especially not while he was in the middle of his own critical attempt to break through to the Purple Mansion. And so, he had left the Zhang family alone.

Twenty years had passed since then, and Huaijin had grown into a force to be reckoned with. At his current level, he did not fear even a Purple Mansion cultivator. Fang Tianyu, of course, remembered the old grudge. The Jin family, too, had not forgotten, they had lost two of their blood kin to Huaijin's hands. But with the beast tide now raging across the land, all scores would have to wait.

"Brother, it's all in the past," Huaijin said calmly, subtly pulling his hands free from Fang Tao's grasp. Fang Tao did not seem offended. He studied Huaijin with new eyes. Twenty years ago, Huaijin had been at the second level of Foundation Establishment while Fang Tao himself was at the fourth. Now, they stood at equal heights, both at the sixth level. Even for someone blessed with a spirit body, such speed was astonishing. Even a typical dual-spirit-root cultivator could not advance so swiftly.

"You're right, brother, it's all in the past! And I swear to you, I will find a way to make amends." The potential Huaijin had displayed made Fang Tao unwilling to let him slip away. And since Huaijin had already made enemies of the Jin family, aligning with Fang Tao was, in the latter's estimation, the only sensible path forward for the Zhang family's survival. Fang Tao was certain Huaijin would see reason and accept his offer. Yet, to his surprise, Huaijin declined without hesitation.

"Brother, I appreciate your kindness. Truly. But the Zhang family is a small, insignificant clan. We cannot afford to involve ourselves in your conflicts." Huaijin was no fool. The Fang family's internal strife was their own affair. Even if they tore each other apart, it had nothing to do with an outsider. To involve oneself in such a game was to invite disaster, that much was certain. And yet, simply because Fang Tao had extended a friendly hand, Huaijin had already suffered a misfortune he never deserved.

"Very well! I won't press you," Fang Tao said, his tone shifting.

"But if you ever find yourself in trouble, you know where to find me." Huaijin had drawn his line, and Fang Tao did not push further. He clapped Huaijin on the shoulder once, then turned and walked away. Huaijin watched him leave, a glint of surprise flickering in his eyes. He had braced himself for a complete rupture, had expected to burn that bridge entirely. But it seemed Fang Tao was willing to let him go without a fight. The writing on the wall was clear: Fang Tao's faction had lost.

Fang Tianyu had successfully broken through to the Purple Mansion, and their days of influence were numbered. Huaijin was not concerned. Even if Fang Tianyu came for him personally, he was confident he could hold his own. The real threat to watch for was retaliation from the Jin family. As for the Jiang family, they were already a spent force, nothing more than skeletons moldering in a tomb. With two of their cultivators slain, the Jiang family's power had crumbled beyond recognition.

Their shops and businesses in Qingtai City had been shuttered in haste, and their influence had retreated all the way back to Jianqu County, where they could only lick their wounds in obscurity. There was no helping it. Without a late-stage Tier 2 cultivator at their helm, they had no right to operate in the prefectural capital. Now, all depended on Jiang Wuhe, whether he could hold the remnants of his family together or watch them scatter to the winds.

The Jiang family's downfall could be traced back to a single moment: the day Jiang Wenshi tried to assassinate Huaijin. In the days that followed, Huaijin patrolled the Blood Lion Mountain region and even crossed paths with Jin family cultivators. The hatred burning in their eyes was unmistakable. Though the Jin family was an established Tier 2 clan, losing two mid-level cultivators in one blow was a grievous wound.

Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were not grown like vegetables, each one lost was a permanent scar on the family's strength. One Jin family cultivator looked ready to strike then and there, his killing intent barely contained. But in the end, he held himself back, for now.