The Capital, Ye Family Main Hall, that Night.
Night had fallen. The clamor and bloodshed of the day had been thoroughly cleaned up. The guests, terrified out of their wits, left the Ye family with immense shock and reverence after witnessing Shan Hu's iron fist.
The black coffin from the center of the main hall had been removed. The Ye family's core members were gathered, their expressions solemn yet excited.
Shan Hu sat in the main seat, with Qin Wan'er and Ye Qingcheng attending by his side.
"Sir, Chen Tiannan, the core figure of the Chen family, has been secured, and all of the Chen family's businesses and influence in the Capital have been fully taken over." Ye Chengye's voice was slightly hoarse with excitement. "All obstructors were suppressed under the charge of 'colluding with evil cultivators.' With this incident, we have rooted out the Chen family completely, leaving no lingering threat."
Shan Hu nodded, unsurprised by the result. In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are a joke.
"You don't need to worry about what's inside that coffin," Shan Hu said calmly. "I will personally handle the Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator. But you must remember that the world of cultivation is far deeper than you imagine. The Chen family's audacity in colluding with an evil cultivator is by no means an isolated case. If the Ye family can swallow the Chen family today, they could also be targeted by stronger forces tomorrow."
Ye Chengye's heart tightened, his excitement slightly subdued.
"Please guide us, Sir."
"There is a faint spiritual energy fluctuation beneath the Capital," Shan Hu mused for a moment. "It is the residual energy of your Ye family's spiritual vein. The Ancestor behind the Chen family was precisely aiming for this."
Ye Chengye and Ye Qingcheng exchanged glances, both seeing shock in the other's eyes. They had long known that the Ye family estate was unusual, but no one had ever been able to pinpoint it as a spiritual vein.
"You need to quickly improve your own strength," Shan Hu instructed. "I will leave behind sufficient cultivation resources, including the method for setting up a Spirit Gathering Array and a body-refining technique. Additionally, I will have Qin Wan'er stay. She can guide you and help the Ye family establish a 'Shadow Guard' force that answers only to me. This force does not need to be strong, but it must be loyal and discreet, used for handling certain covert affairs and serving as my eyes and ears."
Qin Wan'er bowed and responded, "Yes, Sir."
Ye Qingcheng looked at Qin Wan'er with a complicated gaze. She knew this seemingly delicate woman actually possessed the strength to awe the Capital's martial arts world.
"Sir, are you... leaving the Capital?" Ye Chengye asked cautiously.
Shan Hu nodded, stood up, and walked to the window, looking out at the pitch-black night sky above the Capital.
"The matter in the Capital is concluded; it's time to journey to a wider world." His gaze was profound, as if looking through the endless star river. "My purpose here was to collect resources to repair my Divine Soul. The spiritual energy here in the Capital is far from enough."
"Longcheng and the Capital were merely the starting points."
The Next Morning.
Shan Hu arranged all matters. He handed a jade slip to Qin Wan'er, which contained a cultivation technique called the Xuan Tian Body Refining Art, and the method for setting up a small Spirit Gathering Array using the remnants of the Ye family's spiritual vein.
In the back courtyard of the Ye family estate.
Ye Qingcheng, dressed in simple, elegant training clothes, stood before Shan Hu, her eyes filled with reluctance and hesitation.
"Sir..." she parted her lips, finally plucking up the courage. "You said last time that my constitution is suitable for cultivation. Could you... take me with you? I don't want to just stay in the Capital."
Shan Hu turned around, looking at the clever and decisive girl before him. Her talent and temperament were both excellent, but her role at the Ye family was more significant.
"Your path of cultivation is not about how far you travel, but how deep you root," Shan Hu's voice was steady, carrying an unquestionable authority. "The Ye family is your foundation and the training ground I leave for you. You will be responsible for guarding and developing it; this is also your tempering."
He extended his finger and lightly touched Ye Qingcheng's forehead.
A stream of pure True Essence instantly flowed into her body, helping to clear several blocked meridians.
"I have cleansed your meridians and marrow. Once you cultivate the Xuan Tian Body Refining Art I left to the first stage of completion, new opportunities will naturally find you."
Ye Qingcheng felt a warm current surging through her body, an unprecedented feeling of comfort. She knew this was Shan Hu's final gift to her.
"I understand, Sir." Ye Qingcheng bowed deeply, her voice firm. "I will not fail your trust, and I will protect the Ye family, awaiting your return."
Shan Hu smiled slightly. This was the first 'disciple' he had taken since his rebirth.
He said no more, taking all the secular world wealth and cultivation resources prepared by Ye Chengye, turning, and leaving the Ye family ancient estate.
Qin Wan'er stood at the gate, watching the figure disappear into the morning mist of the Capital.
She withdrew her gaze, her eyes filled with determination.
"Sir Shan Hu, I will complete everything you have entrusted to me."
The Capital.
With the dramatic collapse of the Chen family, the structure of the Capital was completely reshuffled in just one night. The Ye family rose with the force of thunder, becoming the recognized number one family in the Capital, one that no one dared to provoke. And all of this stemmed from a young man named "Shan Hu."
The Jianghu rumored that this mysterious youth, who stood on a coffin and suppressed a Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator Ancestor with a flick of his finger, had reached a state of cultivation that pierced the heavens and earth.
But at this moment, the youth who created the Capital's legend had already boarded a train heading far away.
His next stop would be a more prosperous place in the south, another treasure trove of cultivation resources hidden in his Divine Soul memory—Lingnan.