Chapter 141: Taibai City

"Congratulations, though Junior Brother Lin, your tribulation of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man took quite a long time."

The Old Ancestor of the Mo family spoke. This was a soul projection, no different from his true self, save for the fact that it lacked combat power. It was a technique specific to the Void-Breaking Realm. Beyond this, experts of the Void-Breaking Realm could manifest true clones, capable of wielding power equal to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. The high-level Void-Breaking expert who had attacked Lin Fan at the Tiandu Gate had arrived using such a clone.

"Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Judging by your expression, Senior Brother, there should be no major issues with your campaign against the Yi family this time," Lin Fan said with a smile, showing none of the wariness he had displayed earlier.

"It is passable, yet the Yi family is a great clan after all. Even now that I have reached the Void-Breaking Realm, I find them troublesome. It is difficult to breach their final defenses; those forbidden artifacts of theirs are truly extraordinary." The Mo family ancestor offered a wry smile, yet Lin Fan caught a glimmer of ease in his eyes. It seemed the Yi family's artifacts were not much of a concern to him at all.

"You are a true master of the Void-Breaking Realm, Senior Brother. A few forbidden artifacts, powerful as they are, cannot stand in your way." Lin Fan shook his head noncommittally and continued, "I wonder if you still require my presence at the Yi family estate? If you have a request, I certainly will not decline."

This was a probe. If the Mo family ancestor harbored no ulterior motives, he would not insist on Lin Fan traveling to the Yi family stronghold.

"Haha, it seems I overestimated the Yi family. Indeed, there is no need for you to intervene now, Junior Brother," the Mo family ancestor laughed.

However, Lin Fan sensed something amiss. When the ancestor spoke, he had hesitated for a split second, and a trace of killing intent had flickered—a subtle occurrence, yet one that did not escape Lin Fan’s notice.

*A fine piece of work, Mo Liuguang. It seems a trip to the Yi family is unavoidable,* Lin Fan thought with a cold smirk, though he remained outwardly composed.

"Regardless, we brothers should have a proper gathering. Furthermore, there is a teleportation array in the city where the Yi family resides. I assume you are planning to return to the Tianwu Domain soon, Junior Brother. While this array cannot take you directly to the Tianwu Domain, it can bridge the gap to another, shortening your journey significantly."

As expected, the Mo family ancestor had continued almost immediately, baiting Lin Fan with a teleportation array he could not refuse. Whether it was true or a lie, Lin Fan now had no choice but to head to the Yi family territory.

"In that case, I shall depart immediately. I look forward to witnessing your prowess, Senior Brother." Lin Fan smiled, appearing entirely natural, as if he had no defenses against his senior brother.

"Very well. Let us meet again another day. By then, the Yi family should be all but gone, and I shall toast to your departure." The Mo family ancestor laughed heartily as he dissipated his soul projection, his Void-Breaking aura vanishing completely.

Once the ancestor was gone, the smile on Lin Fan’s face faded, turning as cold as ice.

*Mo Liuguang is truly cunning. I suspect he has left a physical clone here as well. I am no match for him; this trip to the Yi family is inescapable.* Lin Fan frowned. He stepped out of the ancestor's courtyard and looked up at the void, as if perceiving the secrets hidden within.

This was merely a guess, but he felt it highly probable. The Mo family had ruled Earth-Wu City for years; surely they had offended many, yet no one had ever come to cause trouble. This suggested the Mo family relied on more than just their sole Heaven-Man Realm hegemon. There could only be one explanation: the Mo family ancestor had left a clone here.

With that realization, Lin Fan did not linger. He moved instantly, heading toward the Yi family estate.

High in the void, a figure flickered in and out of existence—the face belonged to none other than Mo Liuguang, or rather, his first clone.

"It is fortunate you did not overstep, or I would have struck you down right then. But that gaze..." The clone watched Lin Fan depart with cold eyes, feeling a lingering sense of unease. Lin Fan’s final look had been fixed directly toward his hidden location.

Taibai City was renowned throughout the Tianwu Domain, primarily because it was home to the Yi family. Much like Earth-Wu City, Taibai City had no lord; the Yi family was its heaven. Beyond the clan itself, the Tianwu Domain held the Yi family in high regard for possessing a true ancestral artifact: the Nine-Section Whip. However, this history of Yi family supremacy had shifted following the events at Wangwu Mountain.

The Nine-Section Whip was lost, and the Yi family’s young heir—the most likely candidate to reach the Heaven-Man Realm—had perished, along with two other Heaven-Man hegemons. The prestige of the Yi family was not what it once was.

Fortunately, the first thing Yi Ming did upon returning to the clan was to seal the city for ten years, aiming to restore the family's strength and await the return of the Nine-Section Whip.

But all of that had changed.

The Mo family of Earth-Wu City, thousands of miles away, had launched a massive offensive. Under normal circumstances, the Yi family might not have cared; even without their whip, their forbidden artifacts kept them as one of the hegemons of the Ancient Buddha Domain. But no one had anticipated that the low-profile Mo family ancestor would attain the Void-Breaking Realm. The scales of victory had tipped decisively toward the Mo family.

After several major battles, the Yi family was clearly outmatched, eventually retreating into their fortress to cling to their final shreds of dignity. The Mo family, however, dared not push too hard, leading to a stalemate.

On this day, a figure arrived outside Taibai City. He was dashing and spirited, a young man who was already a hegemon of the Heaven-Man Realm. It was Lin Fan.

"So this is a war of extermination. How tragic. A fine city like Taibai has been all but ruined. I wonder how many have fallen; it is truly a catastrophe," Lin Fan muttered to himself, walking through the streets of Taibai City. The roads were littered with ruins, all destroyed in the conflict between the Yi and Mo families.

"The Yi family is holed up, yet the Mo family has ceased their full-scale assault. It all feels strange. Could it be that the two families have reached some sort of consensus?" Walking along, Lin Fan was deeply suspicious but showed nothing. He knew that walls had ears, and his arrival could not be hidden from the Mo family.

Before long, a carriage pulled by fierce beasts arrived, and Mo Die stepped out. She looked exactly as she had when Lin Fan first saw her, her silk veil unable to hide her peerless beauty.

"Young Master Lin has finally arrived." Mo Die smiled and gestured for Lin Fan to board the carriage, appearing entirely normal.

Yet, Lin Fan felt that this Mo Die was subtly different from the one he had first met. Though she tried her best to conceal it, he could detect a chilling coldness in her words.