CHAPTER 261: 261- FENG FAMILY [1]

Feng Lishen’s eyes burned as he turned slowly toward the elder who had just dared to speak up.

His voice was void of calmness as he asked, "You dare question my command? It seems you old fools have started to grow weary of life and perhaps loyalty."

Another elder rose to his feet, hands trembling yet voice firm.

"Clan Head, this is no time for pride, heed the council’s advice. We want what’s best for the Feng Clan. To ignore danger is to invite ruin to the family."

But the words had barely left his mouth before another elder cut him off, shouting,

"Are you saying we should place our faith in a heretic’s tongue? He defied our command, he spat on our traditions and brought shame on our clan!"

"Yes!" another elder barked, slamming his hand against the arm of his chair.

"He led our finest warriors to their deaths against the Fang family! All gone, all slaughtered because of his arrogance!"

Amidst the clamor, a calmer, almost too-calm voice broke through, resonating in the silence that followed.

"And that is precisely why we should relocate."

His tone was measured, but every word carried weight. "Clan Head, consider the possibility, Yuan Sheng may have already colluded with Fang Yuan. Why else return alive when all others perished? Perhaps he is here only to reveal our location."

The elder’s eyes narrowed, shifting to Yuan Sheng with open disdain.

"Our home has never been exposed to the outside world. Without an insider, finding our clan location inside Mount Skyhowl is impossible. And yet, here we are."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the council.

Feng Lishen’s lip curled into a sneer, his patience finally snapping.

"How bold. So bold that you place the words of a heretic above mine. It seems the council has forgotten its place. Perhaps... a lesson is due."

With deliberate calm, he reached into his robes and withdrew a small bell, its surface etched with unknown, intricate runes.

The moment it appeared, the temperature in the hall seemed to plummet.

The faint chime that rang as he raised it carried the weight of doom.

Every elder in the chamber recoiled, eyes widening in horror.

"Impossible... that’s—!"

Another elder staggered to his feet, shouting in fury,

"Feng Lishen! Do you understand what you’re doing?! This is treason against the bloodline itself!"

"You are not fit to rule this clan!" another screamed, his voice drowned in the growing resonance of the bell.

Feng Lishen’s smirk widened as the artifact flared with an oppressive aura.

The toll rang out again, low, sonorous, and suffocating.

Power burst forth, invisible shackles that seized every elder in the chamber.

One by one, they collapsed under the crushing pressure, unable to move, their cries silenced.

Even Yuan Sheng, still bound in chains, fell to his knees as the bell’s might pinned him down.

His teeth gnashed together, blood dripping down his chin, but he could not rise.

Above them all, Feng Lishen stood unmoved, holding the ancient bell aloft, his gaze filled with contempt.

The hall quaked under the bell’s oppressive weight, yet Feng Lishen stood tall and composed, as if the chaos was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

His voice cut through the suffocating silence, calm but laced with disdain.

"Tell me... who among you still believes Fang Yuan of the Fang clan has even the slightest chance of standing against me? Hollow Spirit Realm you say, there’s no way that’s possible. Do you hear me?!"

No one dared answer.

Elders who moments ago shouted in defiance now knelt trembling, their faces pale, their bodies crushed beneath the artifact’s power.

Feng Lishen let the silence stretch, savoring it, before raising the bell higher for all to see.

Its dark surface glimmered with runes older than them, each line pulsing faintly.

"Look closely," he said softly, almost reverently.

"Jia Hundun Zhong. Call it a replica if you wish. Call it fake if it comforts you."

His eyes narrowed, and his lips curved into a cold smile.

"But this is still a shadow of the bell that shaped this very world."

The bell’s low chime resonated again, sinking into their bones, their souls.

The elders shuddered.

"This," Feng Lishen continued, his tone steady, confident, unshakable, "is no mere trinket. It is a pseudo–Grade Six treasure. In my hands, it is the weight of judgment itself."

He swept his gaze over the kneeling figures, eyes glinting with cruel certainty.

"Now tell me—are you not confident? Because I am."

The words echoed like a decree, leaving no room for doubt.

Amidst the silent, a shout suddenly escaped from the back, "Try using that bell to court Yuan Sheng’s mother! Haha ha—"

The elder’s laugh was instantly cut short and his head rolled from his shoulders, thudding onto the polished floor.

Feng Lishen’s eyes were glacial, his tone flat and merciless.

"This is no time for jokes."

Silence reigned, heavy and suffocating.

Meanwhile, in the void, Fang Mei watched all of this intently, her breath caught in her throat.

Her eyes burned with fervor at the display below, just then a soft whisper brushed her ear.

"Say, Mei’er... why don’t you go down there and see just how strong this Feng clan head truly is?"

"Huh—?" She barely had time to react.

In the next instant, space folded around her, and she was gone from the void.

The void spat her out into the great hall.

One heartbeat she was watching, the next she was standing before the gathered Feng clan elders, their gazes instantly snapping to her.

"Master?" she gasped, panic flashing in her eyes. She turned instinctively to retreat, only to find no trace of Fang Yuan anywhere.

Feng Lishen’s eyes narrowed in surprise at the sudden appearance as he asked, "And who... are you?"

Fang Mei flashed an awkward but cheeky smile, her tone light as if she were brushing off the tension.

"Ah... that... well, you see..." She let out a nervous laugh, scratching at her sleeve.

"I just... lost my way. You know how it is, living around Mount Skyhowl... right?"

"Yeah, right." Feng Lishen’s voice dripped with scorn as he withdrew the bell’s crushing weight from his elders.

"Capture her," he commanded, a thin smile curving his lips. "I’ve a feeling she’s not alone."

At Feng Lishen’s command, the elders surged forward without hesitation.

The hall erupted with movement as sleeves flared and weapons unsheathed.

Feng Lishen’s voice rang out, calm yet edged with pride.

"I don’t know what is your deal but the Feng family puts family first. When an intruder like you steps foot here, we will take you out first before we focus on our differences."

Fang Mei snorted, sidestepping a streak of lightning that scorched the tiles beside her.

"Yeah, right. As if that’s true."

She twisted, her blade flashing to intercept a spear strike before spinning to narrowly avoid a clawed hand descending on her shoulder.

"You were about to kill your own kin who risked his life to come back to save you," she shot back.

A second wave of strikes came, fast, relentless.

Fang Mei grit her teeth, sword ringing as she parried another blow.

The force rattled her arms, the difference in realm pressing on her with crushing inevitability.

On his dais, Feng Lishen sat with perfect composure, eyes glittering with faint amusement.

"Girl... you fight well. Far better than I’d expect from someone barely at the Golden Core realm."

Fang Mei forced a smile through her ragged breath, sweat running down her temple as she deflected another strike by the thinnest margin.

"Thanks... for the compliment," she managed, her tone light despite the strain.

One wrong move, she knew, and she would be crushed like an insect.

Fang Mei’s arms trembled as she braced against another shimmering arc of a blade, the clash forcing her to skid back a few steps across the cracked earth.

Feng Lishen chuckled lowly, clearly entertained by her resilience.

"You have a knack for humour, little one," he said, folding his hands behind his back as though this was nothing more than a play staged for his amusement.

Below, breathing hard, Fang Mei raised her weapon again, her lips curling into a sly grin despite the sweat dripping down her brow.

"My master always told me..." she staggered forward, catching another strike with the flat of her blade, "...to kill people with laughter!"

The remark bought her a heartbeat’s reprieve, but one of the Feng elders snarled, veins bulging as he drew his palm back.

"Junior, you dare divert your attention? Take this!"

The air boomed as his strike hurtled toward her, tearing through the air like a cannon shot.