The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 435. War (2/2)

The Feng Family Matriarch declared war all of a sudden. Their demand was simple—yet outrageous: hand over the Young Master of the Bai Family.

Naturally, the Bai Family refused.

That single refusal sparked a war between two of the strongest powerhouses in the realm. On paper, it should have been a balanced fight. The Feng Family and the Bai Family possessed equal strength, with equally deep foundations and comparable top-tier experts. Neither side should have had an overwhelming advantage.

But everything changed when outsiders got involved.

Cultivators skilled in reading fate and karma soon discovered something alarming—the luck of the Bai Family was steadily diminishing. A hidden hand, someone proficient in the Dao of Luck, was interfering from the shadows. It was an invisible poison, corroding the Bai Family’s fortune, tilting the scales ever so slightly over time.

Worse still, it was soon revealed that the Feng Family wasn’t acting alone.

They had allied with a mysterious powerhouse from another plane—one with the resources and strength to turn the tide. Their goal wasn’t merely to win a war. They planned to annihilate the Bai Family altogether.

The war had been raging for six months.

Cities lay in ruins. Sacred grounds once bustling with life were reduced to craters. Blood soaked the rivers. Yet in this chaos, neither side emerged victorious.

If anything, both had suffered deeply.

Still, legends walked the battlefield.

Long Tianzhi’s Curses of Calamity decimated enemy formations, leaving entire platoons in utter disarray. No cultivator could escape his maledictions once marked.

And then there were the twin shields of the Bai Family— Long Tianxie and Long Tianhao. Their Absolute Golden Buddha Bodies made them nearly indestructible. Attacks simply bounced off, leaving even top-ranked enemies gasping in disbelief. Their presence alone turned desperate battles into survivable stalemates. freewebnσvel.cøm

Oddly enough, despite being descendants of dragons, neither Tianxie nor Tianhao ever used their Dragon Arts. Not once. Many speculated they were saving it for a final, decisive moment. Others whispered that there were restrictions—seals or oaths that prevented them from fully awakening their bloodline.

But all speculation fell away in the face of hard truth.

Their enemies were growing stronger.

"I don’t think we can win this," said a weary voice.

A man with flowing white hair stood atop a shattered cliff, his robes torn and scorched. This was Old Master Bai, the family’s Master and one of its remaining pillars.

"There are two Peak Celestial Immortals on their side now. I don’t know when that old phoenix, Feng, brought in such powerful reinforcements."

Across from him stood Long Tianzhi, face grim, eyes burning like embers. "Old Master Bai... We cannot surrender. And we will not hand over Bai Xiaochen."

"I’m not saying we should surrender," Old Master Bai replied slowly. "But if they’re here to steal his Providence, perhaps... perhaps we should sever it ourselves."

The words struck Tianzhi like thunder.

He didn’t lash out. For once, there was no burst of rage. Only silence. And thought.

Even if his son — Bai Xiaochen—were to lose his providence and cultivation, the Bai Family possessed countless resources. They could restore him later.

But something about it felt wrong.

"...No," Tianzhi finally said, voice low but firm. "It’s not just because he’s my son. If we sever his providence now, we’re doing exactly what the enemy wants."

He narrowed his eyes, piecing the puzzle together.

"If they truly just wanted to take Xiaochen, they could have done it quietly. Sent assassins. Sent spies. But they chose to declare war. They wanted attention. They wanted to drag this out. It’s a trap."

As if to confirm his instincts, something crashed in front of them on the bloodstained battlefield.

A golden body fell, its impact kicking up a storm of dust and debris. Long Tianzhi was the first to react, rushing forward.

"Little Xie?!"

He caught the body before it hit the ground fully.

It was Long Tianxie— his brother. But something was wrong. His entire body was golden— not just his skin, but even his blood. Scars and wounds glowed like molten cracks across his flesh. Even his breath shimmered like divine glow.

"Brother..." Tianxie muttered weakly, his lips barely moving. "Sister-in-law... she’s... captured."

His head fell forward, eyes shut, unconscious.

Tianzhi held his brother close, hands trembling. His wife— Bai Xiaochen’s mother—had been taken.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Meanwhile, deep within the inner chambers of the Feng Family mansion...

"Everything seems to be progressing according to plan," Matriarch Feng said, her voice calm yet brimming with malice. She stood beside an enormous jade map, glowing faintly with spiritual light. "But that Long Tianzhi... he’s a hard nut to crack. He saw through our plan."

Across from her, a man cloaked in robes woven with celestial patterns let out a low chuckle. His presence distorted space slightly, and his eyes seemed to contain stars. He was none other than the Heaven Fate Emperor—an enigmatic cultivator from another plane.

"Myself must admit, Myself didn’t expect you, the Matriarch Feng, to stoop so low as to kidnap a junior yourself," he said mockingly.

Matriarch Feng’s gaze turned icy. "Spare me your arrogance. I did what needed to be done. Besides, don’t forget your promise. You’re not here to judge me."

"Of course," the Heaven Fate Emperor replied, raising his hands. "I’m just here to witness history as an outsider."

She scoffed, her body suddenly erupting into brilliant purple flames. A moment later, she transformed into a majestic fire phoenix and shot into the sky like a blazing comet. The Heaven Fate Emperor watched her leave and then vanished into thin air.

Moments later, Matriarch Feng arrived near a secluded mountain cloaked in thick layers of concealment arrays. This was no ordinary place— it was the suspected location of the Bai Family’s secret realm. She landed gracefully on a cliff and took out a glowing crystal orb.

Suspended inside, unconscious and helpless, was Bai Ying’er— Tyler’s mother.

Matriarch Feng stared at the orb with a smirk. "I know the secret realm is here," she said, speaking clearly, knowing the Bai Family members hidden within could hear her. "And I know we can’t breach it through force. So instead, I offer a message."

She raised the orb higher, letting the protective seal shimmer in the light.

"To the so-called Young Master of the Bai Family— if you want your mother back, come to me yourself. Alone."

Her voice echoed across the valley, amplified by her Immortal Qi. The Bai Family members hiding in the shadows gasped in horror. They quickly scrambled to send out emergency messages to Long Tianzhi and the other core members.

But Matriarch Feng paid them no mind.

To her, they were nothing more than insects—scurrying about in vain, powerless to stop what was coming. She didn’t even glance at them.

"I will fulfill the will of our ancestors," she whispered to herself. "The God Clan will fall. The Bai Family will be reduced to dust."

She stood still, waiting, her golden phoenix eyes reflecting the cold determination.

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