Chapter 278: The Terrifying Yunding Xie Family!

Ye Jinghong sprang up from the stone bench, and there was no trace of the previous smile on their face.

"Uncle Ye, I…"

Jiang Feng was about to speak when Ye Jinghong raised a hand and cut him off.

Ye Jinghong inhaled deeply, striving to calm the surging emotions.

"You little madman, listen to me! As for Mo Tianbao, you killed him, which certainly caused trouble, but even though the Mo Family is strong, they are only a hidden clan within the Jiangnan Territory. If I intervene and inform the Mo Family's ancestor, this matter will most likely be settled."

"But the Yunding Xie Family is different! If you try to pick a fight with the Xie Family, even I can't protect you! Even if your Master Xuan Yuan Zhenren returns, he still can't protect you!"

"What?"

Jiang Feng's gaze tightened slightly, and a storm of turmoil rose in his heart.

He knew the Yunding Xie Family must be far from simple; otherwise Ye Jinghong wouldn't look like this.

But he hadn't expected Ye Jinghong to say that even the already ascended Master Xuan Yuan Zhenren couldn't protect him?

Is the Yunding Xie Family truly this terrifying?

"Uncle Ye, just how powerful is the Yunding Xie Family?"

The Qingxiao Sect and the Lingnan Sword Sect are both top‑tier great sects with nearly a thousand years of heritage; they each have many Heavenly Human Realm masters who stride across the jianghu unchallenged.

But Ye Jinghong's tone sounded as if the Yunding Xie Family is even more fearsome than those two great sects combined.

Ye Jinghong slowly sat down, lifted a wine jar, poured a cup for themselves, and drank it in one gulp.

"Strong? It's more than just strong! Don't look at the Qin Family, Mo Family, Long Family—these clans also claim to be hidden families, but the gap between hidden families is a world apart!"

"Take the Qin Family, as well as the Mo and Long Families: in the Jiangnan Territory they are indeed powerful regional forces, with Grandmasters everywhere and perhaps even a Heavenly Human Realm ancestor stationed there. Yet before a truly top‑tier hidden clan, they aren't even worthy of lifting a shoe!"

"Consider the Martial Patriarch Ruins this time; for families like the Qin, it's a tremendous opportunity! The inheritance of the Heavenly Eye Martial Patriarch could elevate their clan's strength by another level, so they would spare no expense, even battling the Yitian Pavilion to the point of bloodied heads, to seize this chance. But for the Yunding Xie Family…"

Ye Jinghong paused briefly, their tone tinged with a hint of sigh.

"The inheritance of the Martial Patriarch Ruins is hardly noteworthy! The Xie Family's foundation is far deeper than even the inheritance of the Heavenly Eye Martial Patriarch. Not to mention a single Martial Patriarch inheritance—let alone ten or a hundred—they might not even deem it worthy."

"Even… they haven't even thought of sending a person over!"

Ye Jinghong looked at Jiang Feng, their gaze full of warning.

"You little madman, you now possess the inheritance of the Heavenly Eye Martial Patriarch, and even landing a Lan Jue Palm on you is trivial, but even if you someday truly reach the realm of the Heavenly Eye Martial Patriarch, the Yunding Xie Family will still be a colossal obstacle for you!"

"In their eyes, you might be just a slightly sturdier ant, and crushing you would be as easy as snapping your fingers!"

These words were said with extreme gravity.

Jiang Feng fell silent at once.

He doesn't disbelieve Ye Jinghong; on the contrary, he knows they would never lie to him or resort to alarmist rhetoric.

The more Ye Jinghong says this, the more it underscores the terror of the Yunding Xie Family.

Yet in his mind, the scene he saw in the Illusion Realm of the Martial Patriarch Ruins involuntarily resurfaced.

His mother's dying gaze, the pain and hatred that penetrated to the bone, were deeply etched in Jiang Feng's mind, impossible to shake off.

The hatred for avenging his mother is a grudge that cannot be reconciled!

Even if the Yunding Xie Family is stronger, even if it's like a moth flying into flame, he must still give it a try!

Ye Jinghong watched Jiang Feng's silent demeanor, knowing his heart must be in pain.

"You little madman, I know your heart is heavy. Before Master Xuan Yuan's old friend ascended, he entrusted you to me, so I cannot stand by and watch you go to your death. The Yunding Xie Family is too terrifying; we cannot afford to provoke them, so… perhaps we should just pretend this never happened?"

He truly regarded Jiang Feng as his own child.

Xuan Yuan Zhenren is his best friend; now that he has ascended, Jiang Feng is the sole heir of the Kunlun lineage, and he must not let Jiang Feng get into trouble.

Jiang Feng slowly lifted his head.

He inhaled deeply and said with unwavering resolve.

"Uncle Ye, I know you care for me and that you act for my sake. But the vengeance for my mother, I cannot fail to avenge!"

"Rest assured, I won't act rashly. I just want to know how much you know about the Yunding Xie Family…"

Ye Jinghong looked at Jiang Feng's resolute demeanor, a complex expression appearing on their face.

He knew that Jiang Feng's nature, once he decides on something, will not change easily.

No matter how much he says now, it will only be in vain.

Ye Jinghong let out a long sigh, their face full of helplessness, and shook their head.

"Fine, fine. Since you've already decided, I won't stop you. I know that even if I were to block you, your heart wouldn't be content; you might even secretly go looking for trouble with the Xie Family, which would be even more dangerous."

"The Yunding Xie Family is indeed more mysterious, and I don't know much about them. After all, they rarely interact with the outside world, and rumors about them in the jianghu are exceedingly scarce."

Ye Jinghong took a sip of wine and said slowly.

"I only know that the place they reside in, called the Yunding Secret Realm, is a secluded secret realm cut off from the world. No one knows its exact location, but it's said that Spiritual Energy inside is abundant, over a hundred times denser than outside, and it also contains many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, making it an ideal place for cultivation."

"The Yunding Xie Family has lived generation after generation inside the Yunding Secret Realm, with few ever emerging. The last time a member of the Xie Family roamed the jianghu was twenty years ago."

"Twenty years ago?"

Jiang Feng frowned.

"Uncle Ye, do you know why that Xie Family member came out that time? What did they do in the jianghu?"

Ye Jinghong recalled briefly and said, "I'm not clear on the exact reason. At that time I had just assumed the role of Master of the Sword Sect, and only heard that the young man had caused quite a stir in the jianghu."

"That young man's strength was formidable; he was only in his early twenties and already at the early stage of the Heavenly Human Realm."

"He emerged under the Yunding Xie Family's name to challenge the masters of thirteen hidden families, suffering no defeat, and shortly thereafter vanished, never to be seen again. Since then, members of the Yunding Xie Family have not appeared in the jianghu."

"Early‑twenties Heavenly Human Realm?"

Jiang Feng was startled.

He is now at the Grand Master Nine‑Peak Apex, only one step away from the Heavenly Human Realm.

But he knows clearly how difficult that single step is to cross.

Many people spend their whole lives staying in the Grand Master Realm, unable to break through.

But a young man of the Yunding Xie Family, in his early twenties, already reached the Heavenly Human Realm Early Stage; this talent is just too terrifying!

From this one can also see how deep the foundation of the Yunding Xie Family is.