Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Summons

It is commonly understood that cities—or similar places dominated by cultivation forces—do not keep all of their members within them. After all, just how large would such a city need to be to house everyone?

This was even more evident when it came to cultivation families, as they kept ordinary humans of their own bloodline close, since cultivators came from them.

Most cultivation forces established their bases in areas with a strong concentration of spiritual energy.

Cities and similar places functioned more like industrial centers than as places where everyone lived.

Of course, nothing in this world is ever absolute.

But in Thousand Beast Mountain City, they did not follow the so-called common understanding.

The three families kept their ancestral residences within the bounds of the city, each occupying a separate corner.

The Jin family home was in the western district, while the Lin residence lay in the opposite direction, to the east. As for the Xu, they remained in the north.

Only the south remained vacant—but it already had an unclaimed owner: the mysterious masked woman.

The ordinary humans of the three families lived outside the city, in villages in the directions each family oversaw.

No one ever considered letting their relatives establish villages within the forest, even if there were rumors about villages deeper in. They would never take such a risk.

Thousand Beast Mountain City had a population of over two hundred thousand people.

It was considered a relatively large cultivation city, built on a location of great importance—after all, sustaining energy for that many people was no simple feat.

Spiritual Veins—that was the name given to places where the energy of the world gathered and flowed, to be used by cultivators.

Every major power needed such spiritual veins, and they could even become reasons for war between cultivation forces.

The city was built in a highly strategic location—after all, two hundred thousand people lived there.

Spiritual veins are divided into ranked levels that correspond to cultivation realms. For example, a rank one vein is only sufficient for those in the Qi Training Realm.

They are also classified by grade: low, medium, high, and the rare superior.

Take, for example, a family in the Qi Training Realm—depending on how many cultivators it has, different vein ranks are needed.

A low-grade rank one vein would barely meet the demands of such families, and even a high-grade one could only support around a hundred cultivators—provided no more than ten of them were near the peak of Qi Training.

In short, spiritual veins are indispensable in this world.

This doesn’t mean there’s no energy scattered around, but it's scarce—since it naturally concentrates in the veins.

If someone tried to use a spiritual gathering formation out in the open, it might work, but the cost of maintaining such a formation would be too high to be worthwhile.

One of the reasons this city is so coveted is not just because of its strategic location or the number of spirit stones it receives yearly, but also because of its spiritual veins.

Yes, there is more than one spiritual vein in the city—and it’s easy to imagine just how much envy that provokes.

At the center of the city, there was a very small spiritual vein of rank three.

It seemed slightly damaged, almost degrading to rank two, but thanks to that vein, other lower-ranked branches had spread across the four corners of the city.

Each one of these was a high-grade rank two spiritual vein, where the city’s main powers resided.

Other small rank one veins were also scattered throughout the city, all of them regulated by the formation.

This made the city abundant in spiritual energy—which is why living there had become so expensive.

The small rank three spiritual vein was treated as a treasure, and not just anyone could make use of it.

Jin Family. In the western district, a mansion spanning several streets stood tall.

At one of the most important spots within it, an old man with hair as white as snow stepped out; his robe was white with golden trim.

The old man looked toward the center, deep thoughts flashing through his mind before he voiced them."That girl is becoming stronger and stronger... or is it that I'm simply getting old...?"

His voice was aged and heavy, full of vicissitudes. Just as he sighed, the door suddenly burst open, and a burly man stepped inside.

His appearance strongly resembled that of the old man. His hair was black, but white streaks showed that time had also caught up with him.

"Look at your age—when will you learn some manners!?" said the old man in a tone of dissatisfaction, before the man could say a word.

"Forgive me, Father, but it's something important, and this son lost control for a moment," said the man, surprise on his face. He had come to inform his father, who had been in secluded cultivation, but hadn't expected him to have already emerged.

"Jin Yong, no matter what happens, as one of the family's few Base Cultivators, you must never lose your composure... Thank the heavens my grandson arrived with more composure."

Jin Yong, now being scolded, didn’t dare respond. Even as a powerful cultivator, he was still nothing before his father.

Sensing his father gradually calming down, he gathered the courage to speak."Father, I came because we received a summons from her."

The old man didn’t need to hear who it was from. Only one person would issue a summons to one of the main families through nothing more than a letter.

Frowning, no one could tell what he was thinking.

Raising his hand, Jin Yong didn’t hesitate to hand over a letter that appeared simple to his father.

He then looked at the letter and saw a plain seal upon it. From that seal, he could sense her aura, and immediately linked the letter to the eruption of power he had noticed earlier.

With a slight movement of his spiritual energy, the seal broke, and a voice echoed in his mind.

“Jin Guang, we need to talk. Tonight.”

The words were simple, yet they made Jin Guang’s face turn grim.

Before he could say anything, the letter in his hand spontaneously caught fire.

The flame, seemingly ordinary at first, began to grow, nearly turning into a ball of fire; the temperature in the room rose alarmingly, and in the next moment, it vanished as if nothing had happened.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Jin Yong watched the scene with a pale face, sensing the stench of death within that fire.

Is this still Foundation Establishment?!

He then looked at his father, whose expression had grown even darker.

It was a display of strength—a gesture showing utter disregard for the Jin family.

“What should we reply, Father?”

Hearing the question, Jin Guang awoke from his thoughts, and for a brief instant, a glimmer of fear flashed in his eyes—something no one would have noticed.

“What else is there to do? This meeting is surely not meant for our family alone. Inform Hao’er that he will accompany me,” he said after pondering for a moment.

Upon hearing this, Jin Yong remembered something and quickly spoke: “Could it be just because of what happened last night?”

“What happened? What are you not telling me…?”

Jin Guang furrowed his brows once again. Just when he thought there was nothing unusual, something else came up—but perhaps it was better this way; at least he would not have to keep guessing at the reason.

“This son did not dare interrupt Father’s seclusion. It was just another monster attack at the housing junction…”

“That’s all? Truly nothing then…”

“That’s what I thought as well, but I heard the situation was far worse than expected. Many cultivators fell, and the losses among ordinary humans were even greater.”

Jin Guang’s brows knitted tightly at those words. Lowering his gaze, he pondered in silence for a moment before speaking again:

“There’s not much more to say now. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

With a sigh, he returned to his cultivation room, his mood far from good.

Lin Family. In the eastern district, each area was under the influence of the family that controlled it, taking responsibility for the safety of their respective territories.

Thus was formed the intricate web of power within Thousand Beast Mountain City.

The air there seemed fresher, and the scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the surroundings.

In a corner of the district stood a massive mansion, no smaller than that of the Jin family, its structure tinted with a faint green hue.

In its garden, a towering tree over five meters tall stretched toward the sky, its trunk a deep green and its fruits bearing the same shade.

An elderly man, with slightly graying hair, gazed at it with satisfaction, his expression gentle and serene.

At that moment, he shifted his gaze toward the center and let out a sigh.

Almost simultaneously, a man in his forties entered, holding a letter in his hand.

“Father, I didn’t expect to find you here. Was your seclusion fruitful?” the man asked as he approached, cupping his hands in greeting. He walked to the old man’s side and admired the towering tree.

“Hoho, with this old man’s talent, going further is difficult. But you and Wei’er are different; your talent surpasses mine… What is it?” the old man said thoughtfully, still looking at the tree. Knowing his son would not come here without reason, he asked.

Hearing his father belittle himself, the man felt a twinge of sadness, but remembering the purpose of his visit, he said: “We have received a meeting letter, so this child came to present it to Father.”

“A meeting…?” the old man murmured to himself, his eyes still fixed on the tree, immersed in thought. He then continued: “When I came out, I noticed the servants seemed restless. Did something happen?”

“Another monster attack on the outer houses. Unfortunately, we miscalculated this time, and many people died. I heard a Southern supervisor went there, but it seems he couldn’t resolve the matter. By the time our supervisors arrived, it was already over,” he said with a troubled expression, recalling the incident.

Upon hearing this, the old man pondered once more. He asked for the letter and, with a single motion, broke its seal.

“Sir Lin Jialun, let us meet tonight.”

Lin Jialun heard the calm voice from the letter and, with a sigh, watched it turn to ash before him.

“A meeting… It must be about the attack. That little girl’s heart is far too soft.”

To an outsider, such words might have sounded disrespectful, yet the smile on Lin Jialun’s face showed that he was not displeased with this side of her.

“Ziyi, I will attend the meeting tonight, and I doubt I’ll be the only one. Inform Wei’er that he will accompany me. Those old geezers fogeys are likely to show up and parade their juniors.”

Lin Ziyi nodded in acknowledgment. Lin Wei was no longer young; he needed to prepare to take over as the next head.

“Then this son will take his leave.”

“Go, see to your matters.”

Lin Jialun watched him leave with a bow, then turned his eyes once more to the majestic tree.

With no one around to see, he waved his hand, and the energy in the air began to gather, forming a mark that adhered to the tree.

The energy followed the mark, as if concentrating and nourishing the great tree.

Xu Family. In the northern district—the busiest for outsiders—heading north made it easier to find another city, and cultivators were constantly leaving or arriving from nearby cities.

The three great families possessed mansions that would inspire envy in anyone, each occupying an area equal to that of several common households.

The Xu family’s mansion, like the others, stood in a corner.

Its colors were subdued, with faint shades of blue in certain areas. In some spots, towering bamboos rose proudly into the sky.

Inside one of the many rooms, a routine meeting was taking place. Several elders sat on cushions, engaging in heated discussion.

In the seat of honor, a slender and beautiful woman remained seated; the streaks of white in her hair added a touch of mature charm.

While everyone argued, she kept her eyes closed, her expression showing that she was already losing patience.

At her side sat a gentle-looking man who watched her with affection. Seeing her expression, he simply shook his head with a faint smile.

“Family Head, what—”

Before he could finish, a young disciple entered with his hands cupped and his back bent, his face full of respect—after all, gathered here was much of the Xu Family’s strength.

“Family Head, Elders, this disciple has a letter that must be delivered urgently!”

The elder who had been interrupted was already irritated and about to explode in reprimand, but upon seeing the seal on the letter the young man carried, he swallowed his words and turned his gaze toward the leader.

She too looked at the letter in the disciple’s hand and, with a light wave, made it float into her palm. She said, “I have received the letter. You may withdraw. We will adjourn this meeting early...”

The moment she finished speaking, she had already vanished from the hall, the same happening with the gentle man at her side.

Such movements were not something Qi Training could accomplish.

Letter in hand, the woman appeared alongside the gentle man before a modest-looking room.

With a gesture, the room’s formation trembled, and she waited.

Their wait was not long, for before long, an old man with a simple appearance slowly emerged from the chamber.

Upon seeing him, the gentle man quickly bowed with cupped hands in a show of respect.

When the old man saw him, he halted and pointed a finger, saying, “Yin Yongxin, did I not say I didn’t want to see your face again until you attained the Core!?”

Hearing this, Yin Yongxin forced a wry smile—that was no easy feat. Before he could reply, a sharper voice rang out.

“Old man, how dare you speak that way to my man...?” she said, her once-unchanging expression turning irate in seconds. But before she could continue, the old man cut her off even louder.

“And you, Zhimin, how dare you speak to your father like that!? Hmph, with that personality, as if you’d have had any chance of becoming Family Head if I had a son!”

“Hahaha, and why should I call you Father when you speak like that to Yongxin? Truly laughable—no matter how many sons you might have, old man, the most talented would still be me. Who could compare!?”

“Hmph, I will not argue with you over him. If you are so talented, why haven’t you turned my family into a Core family, then? You are fortunate we still have Xue’er...” he said, his beard trembling in anger, though his fury eased when he mentioned his granddaughter.

“You don’t speak about him because you know you’re in the wrong. And how am I supposed to cultivate when you’ve left me to handle everything while you hide in this room!? You’re not actually thinking of letting her take over the family, are you?” she shot back, refusing to back down.

“What do you mean? Of course it’s your turn to be leader now—or do you expect me to die of old age in that chair? If you don’t want her to become Family Head, then hurry and give me another grandchild.”

The moment Xu Zhimin heard her father’s shameless words, her face turned red, and she glanced sidelong at Yin Yongxin, murmuring, “That’s not so easy...”

“Just look at that! You dare speak to me like this, but the moment I mention that, you shrink back. Isn’t that right, Yongxin?” he said with a wry smile. Turning to Yin Yongxin, it was as if he had already forgotten his earlier words, though he quickly remembered and barked, “I don’t want to speak to you—get out!”

“Old man...”

Yin Yongxin looked at the two with a helpless expression; whenever they met, it always turned into this. Well, he could hardly blame the old man for his dislike.

Xu Zhimin had always been independent, and on one trip away, she had returned with a husband—to her father’s fury.

He still remembered that, had it not been for Zhimin’s threats, he might already be in another world.

Seeing the two about to start again, he quickly intervened. “Zhimin, show your father the letter.”

With an “Ah!” she remembered the reason for their visit, tossing the letter to her father. She snorted and turned her head away, while he, upon catching the letter, did the same to avoid looking at the two of them.

With a light motion, the seal broke, and a calm voice echoed in his ears.

“Sir Xu Zhenghao, let us meet tonight.”

As soon as the voice faded, the letter in his hand ignited and vanished into the wind.

Xu Zhenghao furrowed his brows and asked, “What has happened recently?”

He asked the question while looking at his daughter, but seeing her distracted expression, he could only turn to Yin Yongxin.

“Last night, there was an attack on the outer residences. At first, I thought it was just a minor assault, so I did not send a supervisor immediately, but I was mistaken, and many people died,” he said, bowing in self-blame.

Xu Zhenghao regarded him for a long moment before saying, “It is regrettable that so many have died, but there was no way to foresee it. We are likely not the only ones—those old fogeys will surely be there as well. Notify Xue’er; she will accompany me.”

“Hmph, you just want to take her along to show off,” Xu Zhimin said, still unwilling to let the argument go.