The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

The icy blade of Yun Yanshuang's sword, infused with the scorching energy of the Solar Essence Wheel, tore through the air as it sliced toward Wang Qinglin's neck. The searing radiance crackled and hissed, leaving a trail of shattered void in its wake.

Wang Qinglin, sensing imminent danger, tilted his body backward in desperation. With a nimble push of his toes, he sprang back just in time to narrowly evade the deadly strike.

But even as he dodged Yun Yanshuang's swift sword, another peril emerged—a single arrow, charged with the power of yin and yang, pierced through the air with astonishing speed.

The arrow was too fast. Before Wang Qinglin could react, it tore through his arm, shattering it in an instant.

"So, it was you… You were the one who struck in Tongshan County ten years ago?!"

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain of his shattered limb, Wang Qinglin's expression twisted in rage as he glared at Yun Yanshui.

But Yun Yanshui didn't bother to respond. Wielding his Black-Green Battle Bow, he had loosed the arrow that had maimed Wang Qinglin, and now his spear lunged forward with ruthless precision, aiming directly for Wang Qinglin's throat.

Instinctively, Wang Qinglin attempted to summon the power of the Lake Water Technique to defend himself. Yet before he could act, Yun Yanshuang struck again. Her sword, imbued with the chilling force of the Lunar Ascent, swept toward him, aiming to cleave him in two.

The siblings moved with a terrifying synchronicity, their attacks swift and relentless. Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving Wang Qinglin no time to cast his spells or activate his spiritual tools.

Shk!

A spray of crimson erupted as Yun Yanshui's spear, driven by fury, pierced through Wang Qinglin's throat.

Almost simultaneously, Yun Yanshuang's icy blade struck true, slicing through Wang Qinglin's midsection. The chilling energy of the Lunar Ascent froze his body instantly, locking his dantian and meridians in an icy grip, rendering him utterly incapable of channeling spiritual energy.

"This Yun Yanshuang… From the beginning, she intended to cripple my movements..."

The frost coursing through his body was unbearable. Wang Qinglin's eyes narrowed, his expression dark and grim as he realized that his spiritual energy had been entirely sealed by the cold.

"Break!"

"Strike!"

With a unified shout, the siblings unleashed their final blows.

The Solar Essence Wheel within Yun Yanshui's spear erupted like a miniature sun, detonating inside Wang Qinglin's throat. His head was obliterated in a fiery explosion.

Simultaneously, the freezing energy of Yun Yanshuang's Lunar Ascent spread through Wang Qinglin's body, preventing any resistance. Her sword cleaved through his waist, cutting him cleanly into two.

"Brother!"

Yun Yanshuang sheathed her sword and turned to Yun Yanshui.

"This time, it was thanks to your timely intervention. Without you, taking down this old snake would have been far more troublesome," Yun Yanshui said coldly.

"Is Wang Liyuan really still alive?" Yun Yanshuang asked.

"Yes. Brother Yantian's soul imprint was clear. I saw it with my own eyes!" Yun Yanshui replied, his grip tightening on his spear.

"To think Wang Liyuan has such extraordinary fortune… Even after being decapitated by you, he managed to survive?" Yun Yanshuang's astonishment was evident, though she knew her brother wouldn't joke about such matters.

"Enough talk. What about Wang Lilong?"

"I killed him before coming here. The fool thought he could strike at you in secret. I ended him with one slash," Yun Yanshuang said, her gaze drifting to the nearby corpse, bisected cleanly in two—Wang Lilong's lifeless body.

As it turned out, Yun Yanshuang had arrived at the Wang ancestral grounds just as Yun Yanshui began his battle with Wang Qinglin. She had noticed the gravely injured Wang Lilong preparing to activate the clan's inherited formation to strike at her brother. Without hesitation, she intervened, slaying him in one swift stroke.

Then came her decisive attack on Wang Qinglin, a timely ambush that turned the tide of the battle.

"Let's go. That bastard Wang Liyuan must be somewhere in the Wang ancestral grounds," Yun Yanshui said.

With Wang Qinglin and Wang Lilong dead, Yun Yanshui was confident that no one in the Wang clan could stand against him and his sister now.

Leaping forward, he led Yun Yanshuang deeper into the ancestral grounds, his spiritual senses expanding outward to cover the entire area.

In the shadows, he detected several younger Wang clan members with spiritual roots, including Wang Zaihang.

With a cold sneer, Yun Yanshui extended a hand and seized one of the disciples with his spiritual energy, dragging them forward.

"Where is Wang Liyuan?" Yun Yanshui's voice was ice-cold, laced with murderous intent.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" the captured disciple stammered, his face pale with fear as Yun Yanshui's killing aura pressed down on him.

"Don't know?"

Yun Yanshui's eyes narrowed as he coldly snapped the neck of the Wang clan disciple in his grasp. Like discarding refuse, he flung the lifeless body far into the distance.

Without a moment's pause, he reached out again, pulling another Wang clan disciple—a young woman—into his grip. But her answer was no different. No one seemed to know anything about Wang Liyuan's whereabouts.

Or perhaps, they genuinely didn't know Wang Liyuan existed at all.

After all, Wang Liyuan was supposed to have died ten years ago.

"B-Brother Zaihang… I… I'm scared…"

In a dark corner of the Wang ancestral grounds, a group of over ten Wang clan disciples huddled together, pale-faced and trembling. They held their breath, too frightened even to make a sound.

One of them, a fifteen-year-old boy, caught a glimpse of Yun Yanshui outside. The sight of him, like a god of slaughter, made the boy shiver uncontrollably. Fear consumed him, and he couldn't stop thinking they were all going to die.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll protect all of you," Wang Zaihang whispered, trying to reassure his younger siblings.

But his gaze, fixed on Yun Yanshui, was filled with venomous hatred.

He swore that if he could survive and keep his family safe, he would devote himself to cultivation. One day, he would grow strong enough to kill Yun Yanshui and everyone he cared about, avenging the fallen elders of the Wang clan.

Whoosh!

As Wang Zaihang tried to comfort his siblings, a sudden gust of wind swept through the corner where they hid. Before they could react, they were yanked from the shadows and flung into the open.

Thud! Thud!

The group of young Wang disciples crashed to the ground, wailing in pain and terror.

The moment they felt Yun Yanshui's cold gaze upon them, they shrank back, trembling uncontrollably. Even Wang Zaihang, who had just vowed vengeance, found himself paralyzed under the weight of Yun Yanshui's murderous intent. His face turned ashen, his courage melting away like ice under a blazing sun.

"We don't know who Wang Liyuan is! Truly, we don't!"

"Please! Spare us! We're innocent! We're all innocent!"

Wang Zaihang forced himself to speak, choking back his fear as he begged for mercy. He hoped to save his life and the lives of his siblings.

"Innocent? In my eyes, no descendant of the Wang clan is innocent!"

Yun Yanshui's voice was filled with cold fury, his mind consumed by the memory of Yun Yantian's tragic death.

The thought of leaving any of them alive was unthinkable. To Yun Yanshui, the idea of mercy was a weakness he couldn't afford. These young disciples, if left unchecked, would one day grow strong and seek revenge—not just against him, but against his family, his clan, and everyone he cared about.

Yun Yanshui didn't fear death for himself. What he couldn't bear was the thought of losing those dear to him again.

Eliminating every potential threat was the only way to ensure safety. That was Yun Yanshui's creed.

Even if it meant being reviled as cruel and ruthless, he was willing to shoulder that burden.

He could no longer endure the pain of losing loved ones.

This world was one of struggle.

Kill or be killed.

In such a merciless existence, ideals like compassion and mercy were cheap and laughable.

Hearing Yun Yanshui's words, Wang Zaihang and the others grew even paler, their hearts sinking into the abyss of despair.

Yun Yanshuang stood silently nearby, watching everything unfold with an expression of cold indifference.

She had seen the cruelty of the cultivation world firsthand. She had witnessed the death of Yun Yantian.

And now, she understood her brother's methods. Perhaps he was right. There was no need for mercy when dealing with enemies.

A single moment of compassion could doom the people you cared for the most.

Too much kindness toward one's enemies only planted the seeds of future disaster.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Yun Yanshuang watched her brother raise his spear. The Solar Essence Wheel flared to life, releasing waves of scorching heat.

The fiery aura swept outward like a tidal wave, engulfing Wang Zaihang and the rest of the Wang clan disciples.

In an instant, they were reduced to ashes, their forms obliterated by the overwhelming flames.