28 Return to the Feng Clan

The round moon hung high tonight, surrounded by brightly shining stars that gave color to the monotonous darkness of the night. The liveliness of the town was still in full swing, as could be discerned from the crowded streets filled with various night-time activities.

The arenas were still preoccupied with excited combatants and greedy betting pools, as a few young and beautiful women were also loitering around the entrance of different brothels, dressed in slightly revealing clothing and giving off suggestive gestures to nearby wanderers.

As Feng Yu made his way towards the Feng Manor, he couldn't help but give a second glance towards these females as he observed some of the battles while walking by nearby arenas.

"It's as they say, 'the night sees no end during prosperous times.' It will only get more intense on the final night before the commencement of the talent selection. I've never seen such a lively scene at night-time even in my previous life," Feng Yu said as looked on in admiration.

After a bit more traveling, he eventually arrived at the Feng Family's domain, seeing the large mansion before him with the ancient phoenix symbol that was hung atop of its towering entrance. There was a slight fluctuation in his bloodline as a slight wave of comfortable energy started to flow within him. The guards standing at the entrance were as keen as ever, promptly inquiring about the haggard stranger before them.

"You are approaching the Feng---" As one of the guards was about the say his trademark speech, he was promptly cut short by a familiar-looking guard, who tapped his shoulders as he made his way in front of him cupping his hands politely at the beggar in front of them.

"Welcome Home, Young master Yu!" The other guard said after hearing his words. The previous guard quickly joined him by cupping his hands and bowing politely.

Regarding the prompt response and action, Feng Yu was pleased, especially when he observed the reaction of the familiar-looking guard. He reached his hand out and tapped the guard's shoulders as spoke to him.

"Such keen eyesight, to think you'd be able to recognize my face even when I'm in dirt and rags. I wonder why you failed to recognize me during our last encounter? Hmm, what's your name?" Feng Yu said as he looked towards him with keen interest.

A wave of embarrassment came over the guard's face as he replied: "This servant's name is Dai Lin; I'd like to apologize once more to Young master Yu for my previous mishap."

"Hmm, well then Dai Lin. Do you know if my father and the elders have exited their secluded session?" Feng Yu asked.

"Unusual phenomenon? Oh well, I can inquire about this later. Where are they right now?" Feng Yu said with a bit of surprise in his tone. He thought to himself "How could de-archiving their bloodlines be so quick. Could it be related to my awakening or is it because of that phenomenon?"

"Currently, the clan leader should be within the main hall room with a few of the core clan elders. If I remember correctly, today is the day when they are to meet once again." Dai Lin said as he tapped his forehead with his index finger slightly.

"Hmm, Very Good! Dai Lin, here is a small token of my appreciation for your clear and concise information." Feng Yu said as he flicked his thumb slightly.

Swish!! Tap!

A small round pill was shot into Dai Lin's hand, looking closely at the pill; Dai Lin gained a more favorable impression towards Feng Yu. Quickly storing it away, he bowed once again offering his thanks to Feng Yu.

"Dai Lin thanks Young Master Yu for your gracious gift!"

"Don't mind it; I realized that your cultivation has stagnated at the peak of 8 Tier of Body Training realm. Once you take that small foundation pill, you should be able to clear up blockage caused by your impure foundation. Well then, see you later Dai Lin." Feng Yu said as he continued through the already open entrance leaving the two guards behind.

Looking at Feng Yu's disappearing figure, a light of gratitude shone deep within Dai Lin's eyes, he made a polite gesture once more before reorganizing himself into guard duty once more. The other guard, feeling a bit envious, also followed suit with a bitter taste in his mouth.

∞∞∞

Within the Feng Manor, Inside of the Meeting Room.

Sitting around a large table where all of the core elders and officials of the Feng Clan.

Seated at the head of the meeting table were three people, each of whom gave off a unique and noble prestige. Starting from left to right was Feng Xingyu, who wore a simple Unadorned Red Dress looking nothing like a martial practitioner, followed by Feng Yunlong, who was wearing the Clan Leader's Martial Robes and Feng Junling wearing Black Robes with red patterns.

At this moment, they were currently in a deep discussion about the steps to take now that the family members had recovered their bloodline. An elder seated amongst the individuals was currently sharing his views.

"Clan Leader, fellow elders, and core members, it is as we've been discussing for a while now, we should fully consolidate our 'cards' before heading back to the Sacred Domain. Even if our strength was to be recovered to its previous peak, there would be no difference between our loss back then and now." the elder wearing red robes and black wrapping over his bald head said.

"It is not acceptable! How long do you want us to wait in this degraded land with such low spiritual aura? Are we to wait and bear patiently while our enemies grow stronger in a superior training environment? If we go now, we can make use of their blindside to slip into the sacred domain. By simply relying on the fact that our bloodlines are now awakened, we should be capable of growing at an even faster rate compared to our past efforts." Another elder said as he gripped his fists tightly, feeling confident in his increased rate of cultivation. He was a large fellow with a spiky red and white hair standing on top of his head as if lightning struck it.

As the two elders continued to bicker back and forth, a few more elders along with some of the core family members started to share their own contradicting views. Realizing that the situation could continue with no conclusion in sight, Feng Yunlong, who was listening, decided that it was the time to step in.

"Ahem!" as he cleared his throat, an invisible wave of aura quickly spread around the room, bringing a stop to the previously heated discussions. Looking at the elders and core members whose mouths were getting dry from constant talking, Feng Yunlong felt speechless.

"Elder Duan, your statement was correct, as we could grow very quickly if we were to head back to the sacred domain immediately; however, you have forgotten one of the most important factors. We no longer have our clan's main artifacts, as a large majority of them were destroyed. So, how could we safely travel through the treacherous route of the scared domain border with our current level of strength? I must agree that our bloodline's 'Nirvana Trait' is indeed incredible to the degree that it can quickly allow us to recover our lost strength, but it would take a few years at least for that to happen. As such, I will approve of Elder Chen's suggestion, as this is the most viable option in the long run. The more 'cards' we have within our grasps before we return to the domain, the better. "

Hearing their clan leader's words, the elders and core members pondered for a moment before finally nodding their heads in compliance. Elder Chen cupped his fists together while nodding towards Feng Yunlong. Seeing the situation solved, Feng Yunlong shifted his vision over to a man standing to his side dressed in dark red robes wearing a crimson mask.

"What of Yu'er? How is the search for him proceeding at the Tydol Mountain Range?" Feng Yunlong said while placing his hands together.

"Reporting to the Clan Leader, so far there has been no news regarding the whereabouts of Feng Yu. It's as if he had disappeared from the mountain range altogether. Digging up a bit more information, we've also found out that the son of the Huan clan went missing on the mountain range as well." the man with the crimson mask said while bowing politely.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Sigh... Then what of the rumors? Is there any information regarding the strange happenings around Tydol Mount Range?" Feng Yunlong asked while tapping his finger on the table.

"Yes sir. Based on the recent search done by our group, it appears that some of them were quite true, especially the rumor about the battle between two terrifying beings." replied the man with the crimson mask.

Hearing the crimson mask man report, Feng Yunlong pondered for a moment, "A battle between ancient beings of such a scale is not something even Mystical Realm 'Titans' can survive, much less a junior at the Body Training realm."

Slam! Slamming his palm on the surface of the table, Feng Yunlong instantly made up his mind as he looked towards the crimson masked man once more and shouted, "Give the command! I want all members of the 'Crimson-Mask' soldiers to mobilize. Find my son at all costs necessary!"

"As you command!" said the crimson masked man as he started to make his way to the door of the meeting room.

"Clan Leader, are you sure you want to send our ace division out at a time like this? What if they provoke the ancient being dwelling within the mountain range? It would be a substantial loss to the clan if we lose any of them." one of the elders said in surprise.

"Yes, clan leader please think it through once more, it's not wise to make such a rash move. We should just increase the manpower of the scouting division as I'm sure that they would be able to find his whereabouts with a bit more time."

"Eldest Brother! Will Nephew Yu be ok?" Feng Xingyu asked in a slightly worried tone of voice.

"Don't worry Xingyu, Yu'er is too strong of a brat to die early. I believe he should be able to turn misfortune into an opportunity." Feng Junling said while giving an assuring glance towards Feng Xingyu.

Hearing their replies, Feng Yunlong looked towards them in anger. Just as he was about to release his pent-up rage, there was an interruption.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Clan Leader! Clan Elders! Please forgive this servant's intrusion, but, Young master Feng Yu has successfully returned from his training journey and is seeking permission to enter the meeting room." a voice said coming from outside the door of the meeting room.

"Eh? Little Yu, He made it back?" said a core member.

"What? Yu'er has returned! Quickly, let him in!" Feng Yunlong said with an anxious look in his eyes.

Hearing this, all the clan members within the meeting room were surprised. They looked towards the door as Feng Xingyu, and Feng Junling also looked towards the door with expectant gazes.

Creak! As the door opened, a young man wearing newly prepared red martial robes with dark gold sleeves entered the room. With his long red hair trailing behind him as he walked forward with steady steps. Upon reaching a good distance from the seated clan members, he cupped his fists together and made a slight bow before speaking.

"Younger Generation Feng Yu greets clan elders and core members!" After finishing his greeting to them, he made his way over to the head of the table where he knelt and took a deep bow, before lifting his head and speaking once more with a slight smile on his face.