Chapter 118: Fierce Battle in the Courtyard

Yu Yuwei’s light, smiling expression unsettled Wu Yanqing. Sensing danger, he dared not strike first, instead opting for verbal posturing: "What is it you want? While we sincerely wish to associate with the young master of the Mu family, we certainly won't just stand here and be captured."

He sent a message through Little Shun to his maternal uncle, knowing the man would surely deduce that the unexpected guests at his cousin’s estate were trouble; calculating the time, help should be arriving soon. Clearing his throat, Yu Yuwei suddenly remarked, "Do all members of the Wu family hide their heads and show their tails like you?"

"Who is hiding—" Wu Hongwu, unable to endure the provocation, abruptly cut himself off, his face turning pale with terror.

*Clap. Clap.*

Wu Yanqing applauded. "Impressive, young lady. To see through our identities so quickly. I never expected this tiny Mu Family Manor to be a hidden dragon, harboring such talent."

"I know who she is! She’s Yu Yuwei!" Wu Hongwu suddenly shrieked.

Mu Yuqi and the Wu brothers were all startled, their eyes glinting with a crimson, murderous light.

Yu Yuwei had played a pivotal role in sabotaging the Wu family’s plans. In the grand scheme of things, she was the greatest variable; they had anticipated the reactions of Yu Shiyu, but had overlooked her. Her sharp counterattacks had thrown their plans into complete disarray, even forcing the Qian Emperor to publicly support the Yu family and carry out a thunderous purge of the Wu clan, during which even their ancestor was wounded by the ancestor of the Xiang family.

"Fortune smiles upon us. Yu Yuwei, prepare to die!" Wu Yanqing hissed malevolently. A *fangtian* halberd appeared in his grip, its crescent blades shimmering with a cold, lethal light.

"How dare you boast when death is at your doorstep!"

Three elders of the Yu family appeared above the small courtyard, suspended in a triangular formation. The one who spoke was the Fifth Elder, a man who, despite his status, looked more like an unrefined farmer with his swarthy skin, broad nose, and eyes so devoid of pupils that the clear whites were unsettling.

The Fifth Elder held the third-highest rank in the Yu family. After the tragedy in Dongling, where their ancestor’s soul was shattered by the joint forces of the Wu family and a mysterious expert, only the three of them from his generation remained. They had been on the front lines, retreating through secret tunnels after being gravely wounded. He had expected to die, never imagining that Ye Yinchen—a name he still did not know—would save him in the mountains behind the Mu Family Manor.

Three years ago, following the death of his wife, he had returned to Dongling from the Imperial Capital. He was intimately familiar with the high-ranking members of the Wu family, and he recognized the younger generation, including Wu Yanqing and Wu Yanming. The moment he appeared, his presence locked onto the two brothers.

Seeing the three Yu elders, Wu Yanqing’s heart sank to the bottom of a pit. He had known there were experts at the Mu Family Manor, but he hadn't expected these three old monsters, believing he could kill Yu Yuwei and escape unscathed. "Yanming, take the grandson and go! I’ll cover the retreat!" he roared, lunging forward with his halberd.

The halberd’s shadow danced like a swarm of snakes, blurring the line between reality and illusion, instantly shrouding the entire courtyard in a piercing, suffocating murderous intent. Yu Yuwei, standing in the center, was completely enveloped by the strikes.

"Watch out, girl!"

The Fifth Elder cautioned, waving his broad, black sleeves. A massive fireball erupted from his cuff, igniting the surrounding air like a tidal wave of flame surging from the darkness, hurtling precisely toward Wu Yanqing.

At the same time, Yu Yuwei moved. Her Qingshuang sword spun around her, spraying forth cyan sword light that tore through the halberd’s shadows. It was as if the dark, overcast sky had been pierced, revealing a brilliant, meteor-like shower of light.

Wu Yanming, having lost his will to fight, grabbed his grandson and leaped toward the position of the Third Elder, the weakest of the three.

Driven by the hatred of his exterminated clan, the Third Elder showed no mercy to the younger generation. "Lotus of the Burning Sea!" he bellowed. Crimson flames surged from his palms, forming a multi-petaled lotus that spun with terrifying force. As Wu Yanming and his grandson ascended, the fire lotus traced an arcane path toward them.

Though the lotus’s trajectory was clear, Wu Yanming realized with horror that no matter which way he turned, he would inevitably collide with it. The destructive energy contained within the lotus left him without hope, so he retreated, releasing his spirit beast to block the attack.

The beast, a hideous creature resembling a catfish with four legs, its flesh as soft and flaccid as lard, opened a massive white mouth filled with long tentacles and spat out a giant bubble that shimmered as it burst in the firelight. To the beast, the fire lotus was insignificant, yet it stared at the flame with sheer terror, its four short, thick legs trembling violently.

*BOOM!*

The lotus collided with the beast and exploded, the blinding light instantly erasing any trace of its existence. Wu Yanming and his grandson were swallowed by the blast; despite the beast’s sacrifice, they were torn to shreds, tossed into the air, and slammed into the ground, their fate unknown.

Yu Yuwei was also caught in the shockwave and thrown backward, but the Second Elder cast a red, ribbon-like spell that caught her and flung her outside the courtyard, where Lady Yu caught her.

Wu Yanqing was struck directly by the fireball. His chest armor shattered, and his ribcage collapsed. He spat out a fountain of blood, stumbling back two steps as his halberd pierced the flagstones. He clutched the weapon, vomiting more blood before the shockwave of the lotus explosion caught him, tearing his body apart in mid-air.

Mu Yuqi watched this scene, his heart burning with rage. Since possessing this body, though his cultivation realm remained, his strength was limited to the Qi Refining stage of the original vessel. Even if he wanted to save them, he couldn't intervene. Acting on a sudden thought, he retreated into the room, grabbed Wu Shanshan, who was hiding by the door, and feigned panic, shouting, "What do you think you’re doing!"

Wu Shanshan, her face drained of color, felt her legs turn to jelly. Startled by Mu Yuqi’s cry, she hastily drew a short sword, pressed it against his throat, and shoved him toward the doorway. "Everyone stop, or I’ll kill Mu Yuqi!" she shrieked, her voice thin and shrill.

The shockwaves from the courtyard finally reached their peak, rampaging through the area, pulverizing the rockeries and trees, and blowing away the walls and the house itself, which had been reinforced with arrays.

Wu Shanshan’s scream was lost in the roar of the explosion, and both she and Mu Yuqi were blown away by the aftermath.

The Third Elder, being closest, moved to rescue Mu Yuqi, but the young man suddenly flipped, shielding himself with Wu Shanshan and, amidst the chaos, flicked a bean-sized, green-tailed silkmoth at the Third Elder.

Caught off guard, the Third Elder nearly had the moth collide with his nose. It spread its massive wings, which bore circular, eye-like spots that shimmered with an eerie light, appearing like a green ghost face emerging from the dark. This terrifying creature, known as a Spirit-Eroding Moth, could consume magical energy and craved fresh human blood, burrowing into flesh upon contact.

In a moment of desperation, the Third Elder struck it with his palm. He hit his mark, but the moth burrowed into the center of his palm. Feeling his blood surging toward his hand, he made a split-second decision: he swung his left hand like a blade, severing his right hand at the wrist, leaving nothing but white, protruding bone.