A month later, Lv Lianshun moved the entire Lv Family into Sanglu Valley under Yang Lingrui’s escort, officially becoming a clan under the Yang Family’s rule.

Around the same time, newly promoted outer sect disciples descended from Solitary Moon Mountain.

Thanks to Moon Watching City’s city lord Song Kaiyang smoothing things over, the sect hadn’t paid the dynasty’s “recruitment fees” for disciples in years.

Their task was to search for talented youths in the mortal world.

These disciples spent years isolated in mountain cultivation, ignorant of worldly affairs yet arrogant due to their sect’s prestige.

Though only at the second or third level of Gathering Qi, they openly disrespected town mayors at the fifth level.

Three disciples traveling north initially enjoyed warm receptions in several towns, their egos swelling from constant flattery.

They expected even grander welcomes when entering Moon Watching City’s territory.

To their shock, no officials greeted them in the three towns region.

In Willow Leaf Town, Mayor Xu Guang merely stepped outside briefly without offering proper hospitality.

At Baishi Town, they couldn’t even meet Mayor Gao Hui.

“This is unacceptable! Who does this mayor think he is?”

“Something’s wrong—Mayor Xu kept brushing off our requests like we were bothersome flies.”

“Since when did Moon Watching City stop being Solitary Moon Mountain’s territory?”

Confused, they shifted targets from towns to independent clans in the outskirts.

But after visiting two clans, matters worsened.

Families initially welcomed the sect disciples warmly, but turned evasive when asked to surrender children for cultivation.

Already humiliated in the towns, the trio exploded when clans dared reject them.

They wrecked two family compounds, smashing the Xie Family’s ancestral hall.

Xie Chuan, a fourth-level Gathering Qi cultivator, shouted through gritted teeth: “We merely asked for time to discuss! This is tyranny!”

Powerless against the sect’s authority, he burned with helpless rage.

“Should’ve complied when you had the chance!” a disciple sneered. “Hand over the child now, or we’ll take them!”

They barged into residential quarters, snatching screaming children from mothers’ arms.

“Stop this madness!” Xie Chuan desperately blocked their path but got shoved aside. Watching his clan’s anguish, a desperate idea struck him.

“Don’t you dare leave! I’m fetching our main family—you’ll regret this!”

The cultivator spat these words before racing toward Song Mountain.

“The main family?”

Hearing these words, the three froze.

“Isn’t the Xie Family independent? What main family could exist?”

“Could they be a branch clan?”

“Impossible! No great family would care about this forsaken place.”

Curiosity stirred within them.

Since this territory lay beyond imperial control and they had sect backing, they decided to wait and see what “main family” this person spoke of.

Half a day later, Yang Lingrui arrived with Xie Chuan.

Seeing the collapsed structures, rubble-strewn ground, and dead Xie Family members beneath the debris, Yang Lingrui frowned.

Approaching the destroyed ancestral hall, they spotted three youths in blue-green robes.

The clear sky and solitary moon emblem adorned their chests.

The Li Family incident had already soured Yang Lingrui’s opinion of Solitary Moon Mountain.

Witnessing their tyrannical actions now turned his gaze icy.

“They’re here.”

“Fifth level of Gathering Qi?”

“Which family’s cultivator are you, Friend?”

One casually raised his hand toward Yang Lingrui.

How dare a mere third-level Gathering Qi cultivator address a fifth-level one as “Friend”? Such arrogance!

“Song Mountain. Yang Family. Yang Lingrui,” he stated flatly.

“Yang Family? Never heard of it.”

As they moved forward, sudden swirling breezes encircled them.

Initially ignored, the harmless-looking winds suddenly radiated heart-piercing danger when they approached.

Yang Lingrui had trapped all three with wind nets.

“How dare you! We’re from Solitary Moon Mountain!”

“Harm us and your family gets wiped out!”

“Release your technique now!”

Yang Lingrui gazed coldly at them. “Have I touched you? My technique simply exists here. Any accidents from your carelessness aren’t my concern.”

The three disciples’ hearts chilled, sensing naked killing intent from him.

One secretly activated a sleeve-concealed spiritual treasure to send spiritual thought.

Yang Lingrui detected it but lacked means to block the message.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep