At the foot of Xiao Huan Mountain, Xu Ji stood still, his youthful features framed by the breeze as he gazed up at the mountain that had been completely renewed.0

Towering transplanted trees dotted the landscape, a small lake mirrored the blue skies and drifting clouds above, while halfway up the mountain, faint outlines of pavilions and towers emerged through the mist.0

“Luo Tian Society?” he murmured under his breath.0

He had heard of the name before—mentioned casually by his Grand Elder, Tian Xingzi. It was said to be a faction centered around alchemy, led by a cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. That alone would have made them unremarkable in the eyes of most sects, but what set them apart was their alchemist. According to Tian Xingzi, the man’s pill-refining skills were surprisingly refined.0

At one point, Tian Xingzi had even suspected that the famed Blood-Burning pill might have originated from this very faction. That suspicion had only faded after it was revealed that Murong Yuan had the backing of a second-tier alchemist.2

“A mere Qi-Refining faction like this managed to wipe out a Foundation Establishment family?” he muttered, feeling rather perplexed.0

Xu Ji couldn’t help but feel somewhat despondent.1

This is an unexpected complication...0

He couldn’t tell whether the Duan family had simply been too weak to begin with or if multiple factions in the region had joined hands to bring them down in secret. If it was the latter, then there might be no value in pursuing the matter further.0

Still, with a Foundation...0