The Wei family's status as the foremost clan in the Ten Prefectures was due to an elder in the Tribulation Stage.
However, few outside the Wei family knew that this elder was not from the main lineage but from a collateral branch.
The conflict between the main and collateral branches of the Wei family might have sown the seeds of future trouble.
Having been thoroughly humiliated in front of everyone, the elder was now determined to regain his honor.
The elder forcefully drew spiritual energy from a radius of ten li, and a terrifying vortex of spiritual energy slowly formed in his palm.
The surrounding Wei family members were buffeted by the surging spiritual energy, their doubts quickly vanishing, replaced by fervent anticipation.
Wei Lan once again felt fortunate that his decades of effort had not been in vain; by winning over the elder to his side, his position as clan leader was almost guaranteed.
Meanwhile, Wei Qian looked on with admiration, secretly vowing that one day she too would become a mighty cultivator who could command the winds and control the universe, just like the elder.
The elder let out a cold chuckle and, as the spiritual energy vortex fully formed, slammed it onto the light screen.
*Boom!*
The shockwaves from the collision of spiritual energy violently swept outwards.
The elder stumbled back a step. As he retreated, he felt his movement was akin to showing weakness. He quickly circulated his spiritual energy to resist the shockwaves and took another step forward, his wide daoist robe billowing in the wind.
However, while he protected himself, he forgot about the Wei family members behind him.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
The Wei family members were swept away by the immense spiritual energy, sent flying outwards. They first crashed through the ancestral hall's main gate, then slammed hard against the wall, finally sliding to the ground, piled up like a game of human Jenga.
For a moment, groans and curses filled the air.
The elder ignored the fate of the Wei family members and rushed to check the divine altar, only to discover that Xu Yi had, at some point, incorporated all the spirit tablets from the altar into the light screen.
Although the ancestral hall was in disarray, the spirit tablets were completely unharmed.
The elder let out a quiet sigh of relief. If the spirit tablets had also been destroyed, he would truly have become a sinner of the Wei family.
"Get up! Get up, you fools!"
Wei Xuan, unlucky enough to be at the bottom of the pile, nearly vomited blood when she regained her senses. She screamed furiously, her beautiful face contorted with shame and indignation.
However, in such a situation, everyone was struggling to save themselves, and no one could indulge her pampered temper.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Wei family members managed to get to their feet with difficulty. Those who remained down were severely injured and had to be carried out to receive medical attention.
"Elder, what should we do now?"
Wei Lan, with a bruised and swollen face, limped over to the elder, harboring a hidden resentment. He had expected the elder's intervention to ensure success, but instead, not only had it failed, but it had also caused harm to their own people.
The elder's face was grave, his cloudy old eyes fixed on Xu Yi within the light screen. "Who exactly are you?"
At this point, he had to admit that Xu Yi's earlier words were not mere arrogance. With his full power, he truly could not do anything to this array disk. He was both enraged and perplexed.
Xu Yi's identity became increasingly mysterious in his eyes. For a cultivator at the late stage of Soul Division to possess such a miraculous array disk, it was unbelievable that she wouldn't have a powerful background. The elder finally felt the situation was truly troublesome.
"As I said, I was just passing through, but you insisted on not believing me."
Xu Yi, standing inside the light screen, threw her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. If the Wei family had allowed her to leave earlier, she would already be on her way back to the Giant Realm. But they had made the opposite decision, so she could only stay and see this through with them.
The elder took a deep breath, attempting to soften his expression. "I was rash just now. If you don't mind, little friend, you may leave now. I will not stop you."
"Elder..."
Wei Lan was anxious. Because of this detestable woman, many in their Wei family were injured. How could they let her leave?
"Silence!" the elder roared, glaring at Wei Lan and inwardly cursing his foolishness. It was obvious to everyone that he was powerless against this woman. If she wasn't allowed to leave, they would remain in a stalemate indefinitely. He began to regret agreeing to Wei Lan's request to eliminate Wei Qingyun out of a momentary obsession. Wei Qingyun, apart from her mediocre cultivation, met all the requirements for the family head. But it was too late for regrets.
The elder offered Xu Yi a forced smile, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Xu Yi smiled back at him, then decisively refused. "When I wanted to leave, you wouldn't let me. Now that I don't want to leave, none of you will make me."
After speaking, Xu Yi immediately produced a cushion, threw it on the ground, and sat cross-legged, giving the impression she intended to stay for a long time.
The elder's face turned green. He desperately wished he could rush into the light screen and beat Xu Yi soundly. But he restrained himself, as he was utterly incapable of doing anything to the light screen. Finally, he could only flick his sleeve and leave in a huff.
Wei Lan, unsure of what to do, could only glare hatefully at Xu Yi and the other two within the light screen before leading his men away to clean up the mess.
Once they were gone, the ancestral hall immediately regained its usual tranquility.
Xu Yi used her spiritual energy to drag the cushion and turned to face Wei Qing Shan and Wei Jiu. "What are your plans?"
Xu Yi's earlier words were merely to provoke the elder; she had no intention of wasting her time with the Wei family.
Wei Jiu looked at Wei Qing Shan. Wherever Wei Qing Shan went, he would follow.
Wei Qing Shan bit her lip, her eyes clouding with confusion. "Senior, I... I don't know. The Wei family is my family, but I know I can no longer find a place here. The thought of reclaiming the Wei family is a fantasy. Though the Nine Prefectures Continent is vast, there is no place for me."
Wei Qing Shan had refused to show weakness in front of the Wei family, but now that only the three of them remained, her emotions became uncontrollable.
"You can roam the world with Wei Jiu, enjoying the mountains and rivers, with the clouds as your companions and the moon as your neighbor. Why worry about not having a home?"
Xu Yi had once fantasized that if she were a rogue cultivator, she might live such a free and unfettered life.
"With the clouds as my companions, and the moon as my neighbor..." Wei Qing Shan was deeply captivated by Xu Yi's description. It seemed such a life might truly be quite good. She had rarely ventured out; the Giant Realm was the farthest she had ever traveled. She thought perhaps she should take this opportunity to travel and make up for past regrets.
Seeing her interest piqued, Xu Yi reminded her, "Before you do that, you must prepare plenty of spirit stones and elixirs. They can save you a lot of trouble." Spirit stones were essential supplies for cultivators traveling abroad, useful for both cultivation and acquiring various items.
"But I don't have many spirit stones," Wei Qing Shan said, instinctively reaching for the storage bag at her waist. Although her elder brother was the head of the family, he had never excessively favored her simply because she was his sister. Coupled with the monthly allowances she received, half of which she gave to Wei Jiu, she didn't have many savings.
Xu Yi and Wei Qing Shan both looked at Wei Jiu. Wei Jiu seemed uncharacteristically shy. He chuckled awkwardly and then whispered, "All the spirit stones I have, combined, are less than a hundred high-grade spirit stones."
"How many exactly?" Xu Yi pressed.
"Eight high-grade spirit stones."