Cai Xuefang stared out at the near pitch black darkness of the night. He moved his hands and grabbed foggy shadows between his fingers. There was no feeling, no heat or coldness, nothing that would allow anyone to figure out its existence.

He rubbed his beard in thought. His angular looks and sharp chin allowed him a perpetual ‘in deep thought’ look. And it wasn’t just for show. Cai Xuefang’s mind was as quick as his looks made others believe it was.

Faster, if he was asked.

Right now, though, he could not pull on that font of knowledge to understand the situation before him. Wisdom would dictate that a master of the shadowy arts that was also an array master had set up some profound setup in this place they stand now.

There were no Qi lines. No focal point. No acolytes, students, or lower cultivators to continue to provide foundation to the mighty array.

Could a legendary assassin achieve such change to the physical realm?

Cai Xuefang laughed. If such an assassin had existed, then they were doomed to begin with. He would survive, and maybe through great harm to himself rescue the pup who married his daughter, but everyone else would die a terrible and dark death.

Darkness this thick could be used like a pillow. Suffocating an enemy would only be a momentary decision or flick of the wrist.

Unless you had reached beyond the Liquid Core. Reached beyond the limits of what was thought possible. People at that rank, the rank of the Heavens, could cause minute changes to the areas in their proximity. They had the power to impress their will and create a domain.

No Qi attack, strike or power that was not filled with Will–another facet of the Heavenly Realm–could not even begin to hope to reach an active domain.

But, here he stood.

Grabbing what could only be a domain so large it covered the night and the entire forests around the tiny mudhole that was the Silver Mountain Gang. A curious case of a righteous cultivator running from both the Hegemonies and Major Clans.

A cockroach that does not seem willing to die. A scheming fox.

“Zexian,” His voice sounded proper and well trained. “Must you torture a rat? It does not befit your current echelon.”

The whip cracked. A young man screamed in utter suffering.

“Father-in-law,” Yang Zexian's gasped in excitement. His eyes were fully focused on the sprawled slave wretching from pain. The whip in his hands rose again and fell without mercy.

The slave howled, skin torn open.

Cai Xuefang frowned in distaste. You killed weaklings. It was beneath the mighty to play with such tiny insects. Cleaning all the blood and Qi was such a hassle.

Yang Zexian wiped his face, trying to hide a smile of satisfaction. “Father-in-law, did you not command me to never forget my roots? Well, here I am doing a final goodbye and reminding everyone that my Spider Cult is not to be messed with.”

Cai Xuefang played with the foggy shadows as he turned away and looked towards the Silver Mountain Gang’s barrier. They had set up and hidden within the forests only three days out when they made sure to send that missive.

If Dong ZhenKang had anything to hide, or attempted to escape, he would only run into their trap and more importantly, give them a reason to kill him. They weren’t animals, even they had general rules to keep some semblance of order. You don't kill leaders and anyone that controlled a territory unless you had a good enough reason.

The Spider Valley Cult had been scheming for the past decade to entrap that wily old fox, but at every turn they had been rebuffed. A masterful politician and schemer. If he wasn’t a righteous cultivator, Cai Xuefang would have attempted to recruit him.

Don ZhenKang had powered his great array and barrier just moments ago. Why he had done so, Cai Xuefang did not know. It wasn’t hard to guess that he or someone of his caliber would be keeping Zexian safe. Why would he put power into the barrier a Solid Core state cultivator could destroy in minutes at most?

Did it have to do with the shadow…?

The whip cracked. The slave did not scream. Dead.

“Tell me, son-in-law. Have you ever heard of mythical tales and stories about fog-like shadows in this area?” He asked, pinching it again in between his fingers.

“What?” Zexian said.

Cai Xuefang frowned. So this was no natural phenomenon? Someone or something had done this? That made no sense.

“Father-in-law, is that why you’ve been making fists and pinching your fingers ever since it got dark?” Zexian swiped his hand in the air. He displaced the shadows. “Look, nothing there. It's just a cloudy night. Nothing much to worry about with your awe inspiring strength.”

Zexian waved his hand. Figures wearing black robes and black masks covering every inch of their body appeared. Their eyes glowed a bright purple. They grabbed the dead body and disappeared from where they had arrived.

Cai Xuefang smiled at the display. He always did. It was the reason he allowed his daughter to marry a man that could not have dreamed of touching her robes much less be his son-in-law.

Zexian had absorbed a great treasure. Spirits of some dark ancestor had inhibited the treasure and answered to a person they deemed fit to serve. They were not the strongest, all at the Peak Gaseous Core, Peak Mortal Rank, but their numbers were something to behold.

Not mentioning the few existence between them that did have real power–

A hunched form, a spirit unlike the rest, appeared. The black robes it wore fluttered like a massive storm raged around them. It touched the shadows and collected it like a ball of clothes. It turned to him and stared. Its eyes were black endless oceans.

A Pinnacle Immortal.

“Zexian. How strong do your spirits get?”

The young man turned to look at him with an expression he was all too used to. It was one his precious Cai Jia would give him. It was one of ‘are you senile, old man?’

Zexian answered anyway. “The strongest I’ve seen was a Peak Mortal Rank with extraordinary strength. Almost a match for an Immortal Junior.” He washed his hands, up to his elbows. Then washed his face. The servant’s and lowly cultivators at the Gaseous and Liquid core rank were quick to serve their master.

Lest they be next on the torture block.

The Pinnacle Immortal spirit had not budged. Its eyes locked at…him? Cai Xuefang stepped to the side, but the Spirit’s eyes did not follow.

Life and death were separated by tiny hints and clues. Those not looking for them would never accidentally find them. You had to put a concerted effort into keeping an eye out for what seemed like coincidence.

It could have been a coincidence that this mythical foggy shadow had appeared in the darkest night he had ever experienced.

It could have been a coincidence that Dong ZhenKang had powered his barrier.

It could have been a coincidence that this ancient spirit from Zenxian’s treasure had come out.

But he didn’t believe in them. Life was filled with meaning. You just have to be aware to understand.

He wondered what surprises the old fox had prepared for them? Did he sell his soul to get an ancient master to build this array? Cai Xuefang wouldn’t be shocked to find that out.

Dong ZhenKang had sold his very friends and family, the original founders of the Silver Mountain Gang, into a torturous death to save his own hide and great benefits. As fit of a great Evil schemer.

But, what he could not plan for was Cai Xuefang’s arrival. A real Elder of the Dark Gate Palace. Not of the highest ranks, but in the ranks nonetheless.

If he does well, maybe I should destroy his cultivation and take him as an advisor. Maybe bring him onto our unredeemable cultivation path.

The Spirit opened its mouth. A raspy gasp was the only thing that came out of its voice. Its shaking arm slowly rose and pointed directly towards the Silver Mountain Gang. Cai Xuefang could hear its teeth chatter as it struggled to mouth a couple words.

He walked up to it, knowing it was not strong enough to hurt him. And listened closely to its harsh whispers.

“...Dsshhhafthhahh,” It said, clearly trying to pronounce an actual word. “Desshhafthaath.”

“Father-in-law?” Zexian said with a confused look in his eyes. “You’ve been acting weird all night. Is everything alright?”

Cai Xuefang flicked his sleeve. “I am a Dark Gate Palace elder! What could threaten me?”

“Death!” The spirit roared.

The shadows jumped like a tornado. The wind picked up and blew the trees into a maelstrom of noise. Gusts of leaves, branches, and dirt were thrown up into the air. Yang Zexian activated his Liquid Core to keep standing, shocked at the surge in power.

Cai Xuefang noticed it had created a near bubble to hide the effects it had created only for them to see and feel. Anyone outside of it would never know it had happened.

The hunched spirit’s arm jabbed towards the Silver Mountain Gang. “From whence arrives Death! Gallop away into the night! Death! It has arrived and comes our way!”

Cai Xuefang stepped forward and silenced the wind. It died at a snap of his finger. The bubble popped. “Death? What type of death comes when I stand here, spirit?”

“Ancient Death! Predecessor of our Primordial Eras! Ancient Death!” With that it folded into itself and disappeared into a fog of black and purple.

Cai Xuefang struggled to keep a snarl of rage from his face. How dare a mere Pinnacle Immortal speak such in his presence? He struggled not to destroy the entire forest and the damn Silver Mountain Gang in its entirety. Damned be the consequences.

“Father, w-what happened–” Zexian froze at the anger filled expression of Cai Xuefang.

Yang Zexian’s shoulders seemed to sag as though he wanted to make himself as small as possible. It was never a good day when such a power monster went on a wrathful burst of violence.

“Pack your things.” Cai Xuefang snarled, voice barely intelligible. “Let us go see this Death.” He spun on his heels and stalked towards his Pavillion. His servants had already begun to pack everything up.

But, even under the rage and burst of ego, Cai Xuefang was no idiot. He wouldn’t be an Elder of the Dark Gate Palace if he was.