Chapter 87 Confrontation

Upon entering the cavern, it didn't take long for the trio to find where the other cultivators were stuck at. Up ahead, a large Qi barrier stood, blocking the path forward. Judging by the heavy remnant atmosphere of Qi in the air, the cultivators here had probably been stuck for a while.

Sure enough, everyone gathered here matched the energy signatures that Xuan and Fu Mei had sensed. As expected, all of the remaining Eight Great Families had gathered here, having met up here since this was the only way forward into the next area. When they saw the trio that approached, they had mixed reactions. Some were surprised, others were immediately wary. And some… were curious.

The majority of them were human, but… off in the corner, a lone individual stood out among the rest. Only those from higher realms would be able to notice the transcendent aura to him that differed from people of the lower worlds, but there was no doubt about it.

That man—was a High Elf.

'… Looks like things are going to be more troublesome than we'd initially thought,' Xuan pondered. 'The High Elf seems to be concealing his strength to that of an Origin King realm for now, but… his true cultivation is much higher—the Divine Asura Eye says Celestial, at the very least.'

Fu Mei must've noticed it as well, but she showed no change in her expression. Briefly, Xuan met the man's eyes, but it was only for an instant. Right after that, the representative of the group, Yang Tze—eldest son of the Yang Family—addressed the newcomers.

"Sister Xiruo. I see you have made your way here as well. However… where is Brother Li? Was he not with you?"

Zi Xiruo shook her head. "No. I assumed he was with you."

At this, Yang Tze narrowed his eyes slightly, perhaps sensing something was amiss.

"… I see. How odd. And these two are…?"

"Acquaintances I made along the way," Zi Xiruo replied. "It would've been difficult to make it here on my own without any of my family's guards, so they helped out quite a bit."

"But now that you are here, there is no use for them anymore, is there?" Another man interjected with a sinister smirk. "You DO remember what we're here for, right, sister Xiruo? Any… unnecessary tag-alongs would only complicate matters."

Zi Xiruo tensed up, though she remained calm on the surface. "Of course. However… I can see that you all have brought an acquaintance of your own, is that not so?"

Saying that, she directed her gaze towards the High Elf—whose identity, of course, was still unbeknownst to everyone here except Xuan and Fu Mei. Yang Tze, seeing this conversation flow in an unfavorable manner, quickly took hold of the steering wheel and shifted the tides back into his favor.

"This man is a powerful senior who knows about 'it', and the secrets it holds. We are working together out of mutual benefits. Do not disrespect him."

"Powerful senior?" Fu Mei chuckled. "A mere Origin Monarch dares counts as a 'powerful senior' now? Oh, how the world has fallen."

Of course, she knew the High Elf's true power—she was just purposely saying this to stir the pot a bit. By acting stupidly like so, she gave the impression of arrogance and ignorance. As such, the High Elf was less likely to consider her a threat, and look too deep into her. After all, she, too, was not from this lower world, but demons excelled at witchcraft. Hiding her true strength fully, even from fellow cultivators of the higher realms, was not out of the question—that is, if the other party didn't peer too closely.

"Such arrogance. Pitiful words, for someone about to be executed," the young man from before snorted. But to his surprise, Yang Tze interrupted.

"Hold it, Brother Peng. The Eight Great Families are not tyrants who kill at will. Murder should not be our first option of resolving matters."

Xuan could argue with that, but he chose to remain silent and let the scene play out.

Naturally, the man surnamed Peng—presumably young master of the Peng Family—was frustrated by this response, and frowned.

"What are you suggesting, Brother Yang?"

"It's simple, really." Yang Tze turned back to Xuan and Fu Mei. "A senior in my family is capable of using a memory removal technique. If you agree, he can reach into your mind and erase any memory of you being here, and send you back to the previous treasure area. That way, conflict can be avoided, and we will not have any unnecessary deaths. How about it?"

'They want to reach into my mind?' Xuan chuckled. 'Hoh… let him try. This is a perfect opportunity.'

Fu Mei immediately moved up to object, but Xuan spoke first.

"Very well. We agree to your terms. The Eight Great Families are not a group we want to offend as well, so it's best to avoid any conflict."

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Fu Mei shot a glance at Xuan briefly, unable to comprehend what his plans were, but ultimately went along with it like an obedient daughter should. Yang Tze, pleased with this turn of events, gave a nod towards an elder from his family, who did as instructed and stepped closer to Xuan.

"Ease your knowledge sea's defenses. This will be over in a second."

Xuan did as told, closing his eyes and relaxing his mental state. It wasn't easy to do so in a room filled with enemies, but he was experienced. Now, all that was left was for Fu Mei to recognize what he was planning without him actually saying anything.

In a sense, that was the true goal of his actions here—to test his own daughter's intuition, intelligence, and personality. Once he made certain of those three things, he could begin to truly trust her.

​ Letting the elder in was as easy a task as any. Xuan could feel the old man's consciousness entering his knowledge sea—and from here on out, a countdown began. The people outside wouldn't be able to tell anything was off until Xuan killed this old geezer, but Fu Mei needed to realize what Xuan was planning before he made the move, so she was prepared. As such, Xuan wanted to give her as much time as possible.

The moment the elder stepped into Xuan's vast knowledge sea, he blinked several times in shock.

"This is… a Mutated Knowledge Sea?"

Clearly, this was not the normal blue sky and clear waters that the elder was used to seeing. Moreover, the size of this thing was massive—far larger than even the elder's own, and he was considered to have one of the strongest Soulpowers in all of Upper Asphodel.

"I knew this Flowing Qi stage brat was hiding something… otherwise, he would not have been able to make it here. This is not the knowledge sea of someone in the Mortal Transformation stage at all. This… it's far transcended mortality."

At that moment, a thunderous voice resounded across the knowledge sea, and the elder froze.

"You're smarter than I'd initially believed, old fool."

The elder did not dare to budge an inch. For he knew that if he did, this tremendous pressure emitting from the figure hovering behind him would devour him whole.

"… You… you've already developed the ability to enter your own knowledge sea consciously?"

"Developed?" Xuan chuckled. "I was born with that ability. And not only that… but also the skill to consume you."

"… H-Ha, don't get too ahead of yourself now, junior. We may be inside your knowledge sea, and you may have monstrous Soul Strength superior to even my own, but… don't forget, this is nothing more than a mental space. Once I leave here, you are done fo—"

"Leave?"

Xuan smiled darkly.

"Who said you could leave?"