The night had not yet faded when an oppressive stillness settled over the inner courtyard of the Cang estate.Even the wind seemed to hesitate, as if afraid to disturb the presence seated beneath the old pine tree.
Elder Shen sat in quiet meditation, his robes unmoving despite the faint tremor of spiritual energy that rippled around him. The air was heavy—dense with power that no longer needed to roar to be felt. It was silent authority, deep and unshakable, like the mountain itself had taken human form.
Disciples who passed by instinctively lowered their heads. None dared to breathe too loudly. Even the sound of cicadas that once filled the summer nights had gone quiet, as though nature itself bowed before the presence that now anchored the Cang estate.
From a nearby veranda, Zhang Wei and Lady Cang Lian watched him. The jade pendant at Zhang Wei's chest faintly vibrated, recognizing the flow of spiritual energy that lingered like restrained thunder.
"He's already adapted to his new realm," Zhang Wei murmured.
Lady Cang Lian nodded softly, awe flickering in her eyes. "So this is the strength of someone who has stepped half a foot into the Spirit Ascension Realm... Even without releasing his aura, it feels as though the heavens themselves are watching."
Elder Shen slowly opened his eyes. For a brief moment, a thin glimmer of golden light flashed within them—calm, steady, all-seeing. His hair, white as frost, swayed gently as he stood. The faintest trace of spiritual resonance rippled outward, and the morning mist parted before him.
He was no longer the frail elder who once walked with a cane.He was now a storm contained within a single breath, a blade sheathed in serenity.
Later that morning, the clan elders gathered in the ancestral hall. The hall's ceiling, carved with dragons and clouds, trembled faintly under the weight of unspoken fear. The great incense brazier filled the air with the scent of sandalwood, its smoke rising like ghostly serpents toward the carved beams. Every elder sat upright—but no one dared meet Elder Shen's gaze.
"Now that the Cang Sky Seal recognizes Lady Cang Lian as its rightful holder," Shen began, his voice deep yet calm, "we must address the remaining corruption within our family."
His tone carried no anger, only certainty—and that was what terrified them the most.
Across the hall, Cang De sat with arms crossed, his usual smirk gone. He glanced sideways at his remaining allies—Elder Fang and Elder Zuo—but they avoided his eyes. The oppressive aura Shen exuded made even the proudest cultivators sweat.
Cang De forced a laugh. "Corruption? Elder Shen, are you suggesting I'm one of them?"
"No," Shen said lightly. "I am stating it."
The words cut through the silence like a blade.
Cang De's fingers clenched. "You've become bold, old man. A few days of cultivation and you think you can point fingers at me? Have you forgotten who funds the outer disciples' resources?"
"Those resources came from Hei'an merchants," Shen replied. "And the proof lies in your ledger. Do you deny that?"
The hall erupted in whispers.The sound echoed like insects buzzing, nervous and afraid.
Cang De's pupils contracted. "You have no right to accuse me!"
"I have more than right," Shen said. "I have power. And the Patriarch's final decree."
At that, Lady Cang Lian rose. Her expression was unreadable, yet her tone carried the weight of the Cang Sky Seal."Before my father's passing, he entrusted me with the clan's treasure—and this."
She raised a sealed jade scroll marked with the late patriarch's personal insignia.
Cang De froze. The seal glowed faintly under spiritual light. Even the elders who doubted her before leaned forward unconsciously.
"This is the Patriarch's will," she continued. "It states that should any elder collude with foreign powers, they shall be stripped of their rank and banished beyond the Northern Ridge—alive, but forever without the right to return."
Cang De's voice cracked with disbelief. "You forged this!"
Zhang Wei stepped forward then, holding a parchment. "The Cang Sky Seal verified it yesterday. The mark of truth flared when her blood touched it."
He unrolled another parchment—Cang De's secret ledger. The ink shimmered faintly with red spirit-traces. "This ledger, too, bears your spiritual signature. There's no denying it."
The air thickened until breathing became difficult.Elder Fang quietly sank back, his loyalty collapsing like a crumbling wall.
Cang De's jaw trembled. "Even if it's true… you think you can exile me? I raised this clan's army! I bled for this house while your generation hid in your studies!"
Elder Shen's gaze softened. "And for that, we grant you mercy."
Silence. Everyone stared.
"Mercy?" Cang De spat. "You think exile is mercy?"
"Death would be easier," Shen said, his tone heavy. "But killing you would stain Cang Lian's first act as head. Let the world see that we are not beasts who devour our own."
The other elders murmured, hesitant but swayed by Shen's calm authority. None dared oppose him now. His aura alone could crush the room if he wished.
Lady Cang Lian took a slow breath. "Cang De. For betraying the clan's trust, for trading with Hei'an during wartime, and for conspiring to seize the Cang Sky Seal—by the authority of the Patriarch's will and the unanimous consent of the council—you are hereby stripped of title and banished from the Cang estate."
Her voice echoed through the marble pillars like thunder.
A long pause. Cang De's hands trembled, rage flashing through his eyes. "Unanimous consent?" he repeated softly, almost laughing. "You've all chosen a snake over me."
No one answered.
Elder Shen stood, taking the Cang Sky Seal from the altar. He tapped it lightly against the floor.A ring of light expanded beneath Cang De's feet—the Oath Seal of Departure. The ancient mark glowed red, symbolizing severed bonds.
When the light faded, the clan sigil on Cang De's robe dimmed and disappeared.
He stared down at it in disbelief. The symbol that once pulsed with his bloodline's spiritual energy was gone. "You… you dare erase my name…"
He lifted his head, eyes burning with fury and grief. "Do you truly think this clan will stand without me? Without the soldiers I trained, without the merchants I brought in?"
Elder Shen looked at him steadily. "A clan that stands on deceit is already crumbling."
"Then let it crumble," Cang De hissed, turning toward the doors. "Let it rot under your so-called justice."
As he stepped into the courtyard, a gust of wind blew, scattering the banners bearing his crest. His footsteps echoed down the stone path—each one heavier than the last. Even the clouds seemed to darken.
Just before crossing the gates, he stopped. "Lady Cang Lian," he said coldly without turning. "You may have the seal, but remember this—mercy is weakness. One day, your compassion will burn this clan to ashes."
He took another step—and the next moment, spiritual light flared beneath his feet. His aura surged violently as he turned, hurling a crimson blast toward the hall.
"Then let me take my revenge here and now!"
But the strike never landed.
Elder Shen raised his hand, and the world fell silent. The crimson light shattered mid-air, fragments of energy disintegrating like dying embers. The shockwave rippled outward, splitting the tiles beneath their feet.
Cang De's body was lifted and thrown to the ground, crushed by a formless pressure so immense that cracks splintered across the floor.
"Sit," Elder Shen said softly.
Cang De's scream was drowned by the roar of spiritual power that pressed him into the marble. Blood splattered across the floor, his body trembling under the Nascent Soul aura. The air itself quivered as though fearing Shen's wrath.
Elder Shen's power wasn't just domination—it was judgment made flesh. Even those who supported Cang De could only tremble in despair.
"Elder Shen, enough," Cang Lian said quietly. Her hands trembled, but her eyes held firm. "Let him live. Father wouldn't have wanted more bloodshed."
The old man exhaled slowly, then withdrew his spiritual might. The pressure lifted, and Cang De coughed blood, face ashen.
He glared up at her, hatred burning deep in his gaze. "You'll regret this… girl."
Elder Shen turned to the guards. "Escort Cang De beyond the western ridge. From this day forth, he is no longer of the Cang Family. Let him keep his life—nothing else."
The guards stepped forward. But before they could seize him, several men stood from the crowd—Cang De's loyal followers, all trembling yet resolute.
"If Master De is to leave, then we will follow!" one shouted. "We owe him our lives. There's no place for us here!"
Cang De gave a bitter laugh. "Loyalty… at least some still remember the old ways."
Elder Shen regarded them with quiet pity. "Then go. But remember this—you carry the mark of betrayal. Step into these halls again, and you will not leave alive."
Cang De rose weakly, blood staining his lips, and spat onto the marble floor. "Enjoy your fragile peace, Cang Lian. The world beyond these mountains is vast. One day, you'll see how easily it devours the naïve."
He turned, cloak torn, pride shattered yet unbowed, and walked toward the open doors. His followers gathered behind him—some hesitant, others defiant—as the cold wind howled through the hall.When the gates closed, it was like the heavens themselves sealing his fate.
The heavy gates closed with a final echo that seemed to linger in every heart.
Cang Lian stood in silence, staring at the shut doors. "Uncle… may your anger fade someday."
Elder Shen looked up at the faint trail of clouds. "It won't," he said. "Men like him never forget humiliation. But for now, the Cang Family breathes again."
Outside, the snow began to fall. Somewhere beyond the mountains, Cang De's shadow disappeared into the storm—banished, but not defeated.
Far beyond the borders of Linhua, deep within Hei'an territory, a cloaked figure knelt before a shadowy general.The figure's face, though bruised and pale, still carried the cold eyes of Cang De.
"Report," the general said.
Cang De bowed deeply. "The Cang Family stands divided. Give me time… and I will return to claim what's mine."
The general's lips curved into a smirk. "Then let us prepare the board, Cang De. Linhua will burn soon enough."