.

The sequence of events unfolded far too quickly for the people below to make sense of it.

One moment, they were staring up at strange figures clashing in the sky, and the next, they were almost dying from the collateral damage of that very battle.

They hadn't even had time to process what was happening when a sharp rustling sound echoed through the air, and suddenly, everything returned to normal.

The figures in the sky vanished, the destruction around them disappeared, and the only trace that a battle had ever taken place were a few ordinary people lying unconscious on the ground, slowly beginning to wake.

The crowd started murmuring in confusion, wondering if someone was playing some kind of prank on them.

Soon, peace returned to the area, some decided to pretend nothing had happened, while others, still doubtful, left to be safe.

While this was going on, no one noticed two figures who had appeared out of nowhere and entered the building right before everyone's eyes.

One of them was Zhu Rong, who had just arrived only to find an annoying fly in his way, a fly he didn't hesitate to swat.

The other was the head of the Masters Pavilion.

She, like a few others, had sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy and discovered that the commotion was centered around Zhu Rong's shop.

She had personally supported that business, granting them a favorable trade contract, so she wouldn't have allowed anyone to cause trouble there, not under her watch.

When she sensed the power level of the person responsible, she noticed it was close to the Spirit Realm.

That surprised her a little, and she couldn't help but come personally to see who that person was.

She knew many cultivators at the peak of the Mortal Realm who had been trying for years to advance, including the patriarchs of the four major families.

She wondered if it could be one of them, and indeed, when she arrived, she saw that it was one of them, one of the most troublesome ones at that,

Li Bo.

She knew the Li family well, especially since in recent years, among the four major families, theirs had distinguished itself the most, producing a monstrous genius like Li Duoji.

Even in business, they had been prospering, second only to the Masters Pavilion.

In a sense, that had put some pressure on her, though it was still far from anything that truly worried her.

That said, she had not expected their patriarch, who had long retired into secluded cultivation, to suddenly appear and, worse, cause trouble.

She didn't know what his problem was, but she had already decided she would make him spit it out once she got her hands on him.

She had barely thought of taking action when another presence appeared, and before she could even recognize who it was, she heard a dull sound, followed by another, like something tearing through the air at high speed.

It didn't take her long to understand what had happened.

The patriarch of the Li family, who had been standing right there before her eyes, had vanished, and in his place now stood a much younger figure, a familiar looking young man.

He glanced at her and made a gesture, signaling her to follow him.

Since she was already there, she accepted his invitation, no longer concerned for the poor soul who had just met his bitter fate.

At the Li family manor, all the elders were in turmoil after hearing that the patriarch had personally gone to settle accounts with that business.

Due to the failures that both father and son, their family had suffered greatly in recent times, losing most of their business in record time, a fact that shocked everyone, but more importantly, enraged them.

If not for the status of Li Duoji and his father, they would have been personally whipped to death one after the other, but unfortunately, they couldn't do that. All they could do was silently endure the losses and rely on the patriarch.

But who would have thought that the patriarch would be even more reckless, deciding to personally attack that business himself?

Although his approach wasn't the best, many of them had sensed his cultivation level when he left and realized that soon, their family would welcome a cultivator of the Spirit Realm, after so many years.

They believed the Li family was about to return to its former glory, which filled everyone with joy. They even began celebrating while awaiting the patriarch's triumphant return.

Even Li Duoji and his father were temporarily released from confinement to await the good news, while preparations for a small feast were already underway.

At that moment, as a servant was hanging a red banner from the roof, he suddenly heard a strange, heavy sound coming from a certain direction.

Confused, he turned his gaze and squinted to see better.

Soon, he spotted a small dot growing larger and larger with each passing second.

He frowned, puzzled by the speed of the approaching object.

Thinking it might be a beast, he quickly climbed down from the ladder, but had barely set foot on the ground when something crashed violently onto the roof of the manor's main building, creating a massive hole on impact.

The sound alarmed everyone, especially because the object had landed directly above the main hall, where the elders and others were happily discussing their future.

They had just begun planning how to crush the other families before their patriarchs also could reach the spirit realm, when a deafening crash interrupted their conversation.

Before anyone could react, something smashed through the hall's roof and struck Li Duoji's father, who had been standing near the center.

He was sent flying, crashing into several elders before finally stopping.

His once refined appearance was gone, now replaced by blood, torn flesh, and scattered pieces of meat.

He was stunned for a moment by the sudden impact, but rage quickly followed.

Flames erupted around him as he faced the twisted mass of flesh and bones that had fallen from above.

"Who the hell dares do such a thing in the Li family manor?!" he shouted furiously.

"Servants, clean up this mess and feed it to the dogs!

Guards, get moving and find out who's behind this mess!" he barked, followed by the other elders, equally enraged, rushing outside to see who, or what, had dared cause such a disturbance.

Who would dare create trouble on the Li family's territory?

The guards sprang into action, spreading out to search for clues or the culprit.

Meanwhile, the servants hesitated, inching closer to what could only be described as a pile of minced flesh, broken bones, and shredded clothes.

The sight sent shivers down their spines, as most of them were ordinary people. But soon, some noticed something, and the rest quickly did too.

Li Duoji's father, still furious and ready to skin alive whoever was responsible, saw the servants freeze in place, their faces pale as death.

His anger deepened.

"What the hell are you all doing just standing there, you useless fools? Didn't you hear me?

Throw that thing out before I reduce you all to pulp!" he shouted.

But just as he spoke, his words died in his throat, because one of the servants had picked up something from the pile in front of them.

It was partly covered in blood and flesh, but its general shape was unmistakable, especially to those who knew that object.

A piece of black metal, engraved with golden markings, and at its center, a single large character,

Li.

It was the family's medallion, a unique object that symbolized not only the Li family's authority but also served as the key to their treasury.

A precious object that only the patriarch could possess, and the very same passed down from one generation to the next upon assuming leadership of the family.

How could that thing possibly be here, buried in such a heap of flesh and blood?

The question came naturally, but so did the dreadful realization that followed.

Li Duoji's father's hands trembled as he stared at the bloody mess before him, the very thing he had just ordered to be fed to the dogs.

"N-no… it can't be… could it be…?"

Everyone's minds went blank as the terrifying truth struck them.

That unrecognizable pile of flesh… could it really be their patriarch?

There was no need for anyone to answer that question, because the moment such a thought surfaced, everyone present could already determine the origin of that mass of flesh and bone.

From the faint traces of spiritual energy still lingering within those remains, to the scraps of tattered robes mixed among them, there was hardly any doubt left about who it was.

It was without a doubt the patriarch himself,

the very man who, not long ago, had left proudly to settle accounts on behalf of their family and show the rest of the city their strength.

And now, to everyone's shock, he lay before them as nothing more than an unrecognizable heap of flesh, crushing the cheerful mood that had been spreading through the manor and turning it into one of fear and disbelief, as they all struggled to comprehend who could have done such a thing.

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